Back To You
by Kellyyy
Summary: He was never really hers, she never really belonged to him. Yet, they never really didn't belong to each other either. Coming home again after years, they both need to face what's maybe been there all along. LP
1. Just a Moment of Change

**Summary: **He was never really hers, she never really belonged to him. Yet, they never really didn't belong to each other either. Coming home again after years, they both need to face what's maybe been there all along. LP

**AN: **Hey everyone! This is my first -well, actually second, but this is the first one posted- attempt at fanfiction and I can't say I'm not nervous about it. I'm still quite unsure, but I really hope you all get to like this and of course, feel free to comment. Any comments, suggestions or questions are more than welcome!

Onto the story, all is true up to some season -actually, the 20th episode of it- and maybe it'd be better to "understand" this chapter if I just told you already which season, but I am kinda curious to know if anyone can figure out which one. It becomes clear in the next chapter anyway, it's not like I'll keep you in the dark for _that _long!

Anyway, hope you enjoy this and please, let me know what you think!

Last but not least, **BIG** shout-out to _Steffx621_! You helped me _so_ much with my writing, it really means a lot! Thank you! &Oh, also thanks to _Tarantallegra27. _Love you for finally getting your account, by the way (:

Now, I guess I should stop my rant *if anyone is reading this at all* and just let you read the story. _Enjoy (:_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1. Just a Moment of Change<strong>

"Peyton Sawyer." The woman behind the counter all but sighed when Peyton walked into the oh-so familiar place.

"Karen Roe." She said back, a small smile dancing around her lips. Before she knew it Karen had made her way around the counter and hugged Peyton tightly.

It somehow surprised her how even after all those years and the very little time they actually had spent together that woman still felt so much like home to her.

"You're here." Karen stated the obviously when she let go of Peyton and sent her a warm, welcoming smile. "How long have you been in town?"

"Few hours." She answered, shrugging one shoulder. "I've been wandering a little through the streets, but I could really use one of those typical, very good coffees from Karen's Café right now, you know." Peyton said, smiling as well and nodded slightly at the coffee machine.

Nursing her cup of coffee, she couldn't shake off that warm feeling of finally being home again. She didn't really want to either. She was _home_. It took her a while to realize there would never feel a place that much as home as Tree Hill and it took her even longer to really do something about it. Now, she was finally doing so and she couldn't say it had been a bad choice this far. Of course, she had only been there for a few hours.

It had been two years since she had been there the last time and even then it hadn't been for longer than two days. It had been the only time in those long six years since she had left her hometown.

"Are you staying for long?" Karen asked, breaking Peyton from her thoughts.

"Actually, I think I'm just staying. You know, really staying." She said, once again shrugging a shoulder. "It's been way too long since I have been here."

"It certainly has. Welcome home, Peyton." She answered with a smile while filling Peyton's cup again.

"Thank you." Peyton said softly and let her eyes travel down to her cup of coffee.

It had always been of the things Peyton loved most about Karen. She was always there to listen to you, whenever you'd feel like talking, but she would never, ever push you into saying more than you really wanted to. There was no doubt Karen knew there was more to the story than just the fact it had been a long time since Peyton had moved away from Tree Hill, but she also knew that if she wanted to tell her more, she would.

Karen had heard about it from Brooke and Haley and it somehow surprised her it even took Peyton that long to move back, but she was here now and that was kind of all that mattered anyway. If Peyton wanted to say more, she'd be there and she knew Peyton knew so as well.

"P. Sawyer finally returned." A rather happy and cheerful voice called out from in the doorway, catching both women's attention. She waved briefly at Karen before shifting her attention back to the curly blonde sitting at the counter.

"Well, well, isn't that my B. Davis." Peyton replied, getting up from her stool and rushing towards Brooke to hug her best friend she hadn't seen in quite a while now. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. How are you?" Brooke asked when they let go of each other and put her hands on both Peyton's arms. It wasn't just a simple question about how Peyton was doing and she certainly knew so. Last time they had spoken each other it hadn't been the most pleasant conversation.

"Fine, I guess." She answered and shrugged her shoulder. She actually had been doing that quite a lot since she had arrived at the café just a while ago. "How are you? Married life treating you well?"

"Peyton." Brooke sighed softly and shook her head just a tiny bit, not that it went unnoticed by Peyton. "Married life is going great." She said and smiled anyway thinking of that married life of hers now. "That wasn't what I meant though, you know it."

"Well, yeah." Peyton replied while letting a small and silly yet somehow even a sad smile dance around her lips. "It's not like there is much married life to treat me well, right? I'm okay, Brooke. Let's just have this big talk some time after I got a good, hot shower, okay? It was kind of a long drive." Brooke couldn't help but somehow chuckle at the desperate tone in her best friend's voice. Anyhow, she wasn't off the hook yet and she would let Peyton know so exactly.

"Fine. Let's get you settled into my sort of improvised guest room then. After that, we'll talk though." She said, giving her a pointed look but smiling anyway.

It didn't take much for Peyton to match that smile, simply just being happy she was in fact finally in the town where she belonged, with the people she knew she should have never left in the first place. "You sure Julian won't mind? I mean, I _am _taking in all his work space after all."

"No, it's good. I think he kinda loves you anyway, you know." Brooke said matter-of-factly, knowing all too well there wasn't anything more than brotherly love from her husband for her best friend. They hadn't met all that often, but from in the beginning Julian and Peyton had been pretty good friends and she actually couldn't help but love how her husband of two years now always tried his best to look after the blonde girl his wife cared so much about.

"Oh, really? Love triangles are _so _high school though." She replied, making them both let out a good bunch of chuckles. It had been a little sore spot for a while after high school, but in the end they both realized it was in the past and they simply should let it there. They'd come to the point now where they could just joke about it without making the other uncomfortable. It didn't mean it was brought up all that much either though. The love triangle may not have been a sore spot anymore, mentioning Lucas to the blonde sure was, even though she would always say herself it actually wasn't so. "Thank you, Brooke. I really appreciate this." Peyton smiled again and got back to the counter to pick up her things.

"Well, you are my best friend after all, aren't you? Even though you left me here alone for like six years." She answered, smiling as well and knowing Peyton wouldn't take her 'accusation' very seriously. "You're welcome, Peyton. You know there'll always be a place for you here."

"I know. I kind of love you, Brooke Davis _Baker_, you know that?" She said and pulled Brooke into a side hug.

"I know. I kind of love you too, Peyton Sawyer … No, just Sawyer."

"Funny. Really, you outdid yourself here." Peyton said sarcastically, giving her a playful annoyed look.

"Thought so as well." Brooke nodded with a wave of her hand to brush away the comment. "Anyway, let's go. You kind of _really _need that good, hot shower you were talking about."

"Hey!"

"What? It's true." Brooke said laughingly and soon Peyton gave in to laughter herself.

They made their way out of the café, leaving a smiling Karen behind. She had witnessed herself how in those six years since Peyton had left town, people had been missing the curly blonde and there's wasn't one single piece of her that didn't think of Peyton coming home as a really, really good thing. She also couldn't deny that quiet little voice in the back of her head, telling her that things sure were going to get interesting in their little town.

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><p>"So, good shower?" Brooke asked with a smile as Peyton plopped down next to her onto the couch.<p>

"Yeah, you have one nice bathroom." Peyton said laughingly, receiving a playful glare from Brooke.

"Don't mock my bathroom! It isn't _that _bad."

"No, you're right. I mean, besides all those loose tiles and the not-so-standing-upright washbasin you have in there, it really is one nice bathroom." She replied quite seriously but simply couldn't hold in her laughter at Brooke's face.

"It'll be over soon. Julian told me the 'renovations' are planned to be done next week." Brooke said defending her bathroom and Julian's renovation plans. She let out a little sigh as well at the thought of her still unfinished bathroom.

"And why exactly did he want to do it himself? Aren't there like, I don't know, people who do this kind of thing for a _living_?"

"I have no idea. You'd think he was the one being pregnant with how he's acting. It's like he simply has to have _every _little piece of our house in perfect state for the baby. You know he did our kitchen as well? And I don't want to know what he has planned for the nursery." She said and shook her head just a bit, making Peyton let out a soft chuckle.

Brooke had been pregnant for a little over four months now and had that glow over her both Julian and Peyton found adorable. Her best friend was going to be a mom. She somehow still had trouble trying to wrap her head around it sometimes.

She was also proud though.

And happy. Extremely happy for her best friend.

Brooke was married and pregnant and so happy you simply couldn't help but feel happy for her too. It was exactly everything Brooke had wanted all along. It was also exactly everything she had deserved all along.

That didn't mean Brooke was now too blissed out to be there for Peyton though, and it might have been one of the things she loved most about her.

"So, P. Sawyer… Are we going to talk about your sudden move?" Brooke asked after some good moments of silence.

"Subtle, Brooke." Peyton said with a laugh, choosing not to answer the question just yet. She knew they'd talk about it some time, she just didn't know if she really wanted to do so right now. However, she also knew she kind of owed it to Brooke to explain things a little. After all, she had just called the other day –and it didn't take much for Brooke to tell she had been crying– telling her she was coming home the next day without much further explanation. "I just needed to get away. Something I probably should have done a year ago." She finally said and shrugged her shoulders.

"What happened?"

"Nothing really. We sort of had a fight and…"

"I didn't know you still saw each other." Brooke interrupted with a slight frown.

"We didn't. We don't. We just ran into each other on the street, he told me there were still some of my things at his place." Peyton explained, toying with the rings on her fingers.

"After a year?" Brooke interrupted once again, holding her hand up as if to show her disbelief.

"_Brooke_." Peyton said and laughed just a tiny bit. "Yes, apparently even after a year there were still some things. Anyway, we talked a bit and then that turned into a fight, sort of, and I just couldn't stay anymore, you know? We've been doing a pretty good job at avoiding each other most of the time, but it's just a little too hard. Besides, I really missed it here."

Brooke simply nodded and stayed quiet for a while. However, curiosity got the best of her and she soon found herself breaking the silence again. "What'd you fight about?"

She simply got a pointed look from Peyton, letting her know exactly what they had been fighting about. She only nodded again. Of course, they would've fought about that again. She knew they had never been the 'fighting couple' but most of their few fights were always about the same thing –well, person actually.

"Anyway, I'm here now, it's all behind me, right? It's just a break-up." Peyton smiled softly, locking eyes with Brooke.

"It's not _just _a break-up, Peyton. It's a divorce." She answered quietly, not wanting to rub it in but simply feeling the need to point it out.

Peyton knew she was right. Of course it wasn't just a break-up. It was the end of what she thought, promised even, would be forever. It was the end of the only thing she had been sure of ever since high school. She simply knew they'd always be by each other's side until one day, they just weren't. Although, if she was really honest with herself, she had maybe known it all along.

"I know." She nodded and closed her eyes for just a second. "I broke his heart, Brooke. I broke him." She said then, admitting for the first time what she had known for months now, maybe even years. "And for what? For something I'll never have anyway." Peyton answered her own question before looking up to meet Brooke's eyes. "Besides, I don't even want that, you know? I let my marriage fail for nothing."

"You didn't let you marriage fail." Brooke answered and shook her head a little, knowing Peyton had done her very best to save it. "It just didn't work anymore."

"Because I let it become like that. It's my fault. We were good, everything was good, until…" She let her sentence trail, knowing Brooke would get what she meant.

Brooke took Peyton's hand in hers, making her look up at her. "You really think you could have made it work if it wasn't for that? I mean, was that really the only problem?"

"I loved him, Brooke." She answered and made it sound as if that was all that really mattered. However, she had witnessed herself how that simple fact just wasn't enough for the both of them. She didn't doubt he had loved her as well, a part of her even thought he maybe still did a little. But it wasn't enough.

"I know you did, honey, but that's life, you know? Things change and people change. Sometimes you simply can't ignore what's in front of you."

"That's just it, you know. It _isn't _in front of me. It's miles away and it somehow still controls my every move." Peyton said, finally confirming what Brooke had been thinking ever since Peyton had told her about what had happened two years ago now. She frowned slightly at Peyton's words and she knew she had to tell her best friend what she was told this morning.

"What?" Peyton asked upon seeing Brooke's look.

"I know you probably don't really need this right now, but it might not be that far away actually… Haley, she got a call from him this morning."

"Yeah, and?"

"He's coming home, too."

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Thanks so much for reading! Please, let me know what you think! (:


	2. Rewind

**AN: **Thanks _so _much to every one of you who read or reviewed this story. It really means a lot! I hope you get to like chapter two as well.

For those of you who haven't figured out which season I was talking about, it *should* become clear in this chapter. Flashbacks in italics, of course. If you still have questions, feel free to ask though. (:

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><p><strong>Chapter 2. Rewind<strong>

"_I'm sorry." She whispered softly. _

_Maybe she had said those two little words a little too much in the last couple minutes but in all honesty, she simply didn't know what else to say to him. She couldn't really explain it all to him, she hardly got it herself in the first place._

_She knew he hadn't expected it and there was this quiet little voice in the back of her head telling her that maybe she should have never said anything at all to him, but she wasn't that kind of person. She knew she was better than that, even though everything that had happened in the last couple weeks –all that she had _let_ happen– proved her otherwise. _

"_I never wished for this." Was the only other thing that came to mind to say to him. Maybe she had said this sentence a little too much already as well._

"_It's not like that changes a whole lot, is it?" He asked rhetorically, not even trying to look at her while he spoke._

_It broke her heart to see him like that. She loved him, there was no single doubt about that. She really did love him. However, she had always thought that when you love someone the way she thought she loved him, you simply wouldn't do the things she had done._

_But she _loved _him. She had loved him since she was that scared seventeen year old, searching for some sense of family and finding it with him. She loved him and she couldn't think of this as the end of them. She simply didn't _want _to think about the end of them._

_He was her forever. She had promised him so and he had promised her and though she hated herself for what she had done and she wouldn't blame him if he did so as well, she wanted him, needed him even, to hold on to his promise._

"_Jake, I…" She started, but simply didn't know what to say to him._

"_It's okay." He said and even shrugged his shoulders a little. "You never really let him go, did you?" He asked then, finally locking eyes with her. The look in his eyes took her aback. She had expected to see anger and hate even, not the understanding and kindness and _love _she saw right now._

"_I… I love you, Jake." She answered instead of giving him a real answer to his question. And although it was in fact the truth, she didn't think it meant all that much right then. "I know I made a mess of things and I am _so _sorry, but I do love you."_

"_I know you do." He nodded slowly, brushing his hand through his hair just like he always did when he wasn't that sure of his next step. "But what do you want now, Peyton?" He asked at last and surprised her maybe a bit with his direct question._

"_I want you." She answered instantly and it wasn't a lie. She had made mistakes, things he simply didn't deserve, and because of that she knew she didn't deserve him. But she _wanted _him. And she couldn't help but wish for him to want her back just as much._

_She still wanted him in the same way she had when she had left their home a few weeks ago for an art exhibition in New York. Things _had _changed in those few weeks, she couldn't deny that, but the simple fact that she wanted him hadn't. She knew that much._

"_What am I supposed to do with this? Peyton, you… You've… God, you _know _I love you. I do, but I don't know it anymore. What am I, what are _we_,_ _supposed to do now?" He asked and when she didn't answer for a while he walked out of the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts._

_She couldn't get how it had all come so far. She simply didn't get how they moved from being that good couple they had been for years to the somehow estranged couple they were in that moment. All she knew was that she wanted it to change._

_Walking outside as well, she saw him sitting on their front porch, that same porch she had proposed to him more than four years ago now. She was still in high school but she somehow knew it would work between them. She couldn't think of anything she wanted more than that right then. Haley had Nathan and Brooke had Lucas and Peyton… She had Jake. And although she still lived in Tree Hill and he lived in Savannah, she knew she would always have him. She simply did the only thing she could think of doing. She followed her heart to the man she knew who loved her._

"_I don't know what to do. I don't want to lose you, but I don't know, you…"_

"_I know." She nodded softly. "I know." She repeated herself when he didn't immediately said something back. "I made a mistake and I don't expect you to just forgive me for that, but can't we just… Can't we try to figure it out together?" She said at last, almost pleadingly. She simply couldn't lose him, he and Jenny were practically all she had._

_She had left in the middle of her senior year, leaving all her friends behind, and although they still were –and always would be– her friends, she didn't like the thought of needing to return to that little town, having to admit that things didn't work out the way her seventeen year old always thought it would be. She also just didn't want to lose her husband._

"_Maybe." He answered and honestly surprised her with his grace towards her. She hadn't expected him to be like that. The way he looked at her gave her the impression he was honestly willing to forgive her and get them back on track. "Are you sure, Peyton? Are you really sure he's…" He started but let his sentence trail. He simply couldn't say the words to finish his question._

"_I don't want him, Jake. I only want _you_." She answered quickly, shaking her head just a tad frantically. Again, she didn't think it was a lie at that moment. Looking back now though, maybe she had known even then that it wasn't exactly the truth._

"_Then we'll try." He told her quietly and locked eyes with her. She only nodded and moved a little closer to him._

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><p>"<em>It's been almost a year of trying now, Jake. It isn't going to work." She said after a long, heavy silence between the two of them and shook her head just a bit.<em>

"_And whose fault is that, do you think?" He nearly snapped at her, moving as far away from her as the room allowed him to._

"_You _know _I tried! I did everything I could and you know it."_

"_It still was you who caused it all, you know." He pointed out for no reason at all. He didn't want to hurt her more than he knew she already was, but it seemed like he just couldn't help himself. He was a calm man, he had always been so, but the thought of his _wife _with... him was something he couldn't stand. He had tried his best for a year now to get their marriage back on track, but if he was really honest with himself, he'd known ever since high school there simply was not that much of a competition against that man. He simply still held a hold over Peyton. A hold she couldn't just shake off, even though there was nothing she wanted more._

_She hardly recognized the man standing in front of her and she knew she had herself to blame for that. It wasn't fair to him, he hadn't done anything to deserve this all, but he was still left to deal with all the mess _she _had caused. _

_And it had changed him._

"_He'll always hold a piece of your heart." He spoke again after another long silence between them. "I guess I already knew that years ago. But I was… selfish, I guess. I wanted to be with you, I wanted _you _to want to be with me, but it doesn't seem really fair now, does it? For neither one of us."_

"_Jake, I…"_

"_It's okay, Peyton." He interrupted her, shaking his head a little. "It's okay." He repeated himself quietly. "Are you going back to Tree Hill?" He asked then, gesturing to her packed suitcases at the door._

"_No." She answered and shook her head. "My life, my job, is here and… Savannah is big enough for the both of us, right?"_

"_Sure." He nodded although he knew that in the end it wouldn't turn out to be as easy as she made it sound at the moment. She nodded as well and started to pick up her things, heading to the door._

"_I never wanted this to happen, Jake. I just… I can't keep doing this." She said and she knew he'd understand it. There was nothing she wanted more than make her marriage work, but she simply couldn't do it anymore. It broke her heart to think of their broken marriage and she hated herself for being the kind of wife she had been to him, but she couldn't deny anymore longer that they simply weren't going to work._

"_Yeah, I know. It all would've been a whole lot easier if you would've figured this all out before you came here in the first place though, you know."_

"_I'm sorry." She whispered softly before leaving the house._

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><p>"<em>I thought I had everything when I left, I'm sorry." She said quietly while walking into the living room she hadn't been in for almost a year now.<em>

"_Yeah, I thought so too, but last week Jenny was in the attic searching for something and she found this box." He answered, nodding at the box in the corner of the room._

_She nodded as well, biting her lip just a little. Seeing the box, she knew instantly what was in it and to be honest, she didn't even know she still had it. Well, he still had it._

"_We didn't know you still wanted it or not, so…" He continued when she didn't answer and just looked at the box instead._

"_No, it's good. I mean, thank you. I still want it." She said and thought she somehow saw him clenching his jaw. "How's Jenny?"_

"_She's good." He simply answered with a small smile. "Well, you can have it now." He said then and gestured to the box as if he was telling her to pick it up and just leave his place._

_She was almost at the door, holding the box in her hands, when he starting talking again. "You know, I honestly believed you when you told me you only wanted me. _Us. _That box tells otherwise though."_

"_It's from a long time ago, Jake. It doesn't mean anything. It has nothing to do with our divorce."_

"_It has everything to do with it, Peyton! If it wasn't for him_ _or for everything you once had with him, we would've been fine!" He nearly shouted, startling the both of them._

"_Fine, Jake. We would've been _fine_, not great. We _should _have been great." She said calmly, trying to keep her tears in check._

"_You know you're only saying this because you're trying to ease your guilt."_

"_What?" She asked incredulously._

"You _let this marriage fail, Peyton. You and the fact you simply can't let go of Lucas."_

_She didn't know what to say to that. She wished she had the right words to tell him, but she simply hadn't. He wasn't right. At the same time, he wasn't entirely wrong either. _

_Ever since walking out of that door a year ago she had felt as if _she _had let their marriage fail and it had hurt her more than she thought it would have. Hearing it from him now, hurt her even more._

_When she, after a long while of silence between them, still didn't know what to say to him, she settled for the only thing that _always _seemed to come to mind when she was talking to him._

"_I'm sorry." She whispered softly. _

_She closed the door behind her and for the very first time she had the feeling she wasn't ever going to return to that house._

_She couldn't really recall just how many times she had apologized to him in the last two years, but that last one somehow felt like the most important of all. It was an apology for _everything _that had gone wrong between the two of them. She didn't know if it would mean all that much to him, but she still felt the need to tell him so anyways._

_Because she _was_ sorry._

_For everything._

_She was sorry. And she wished she hadn't done the things she had done, but as much as she wished she could rewind time, there was a small part of her thinking that maybe, just maybe, life wouldn't be that bad from now on either._

_That maybe, just maybe, she needed this to realize Jake wasn't really her forever._

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think!

Oh, don't ask me how come but apparently it wasn't possible to leave anonymous reviews for the first chapter. *I'm thinking it has something to do with me and clicking on the wrong buttons or something, kinda sounds like me.* Anyway, that's fixed now and it is possible now. Not that I'm pushing anyone to leave a review, of course! lol


	3. Here In the Place Where We Belong

**AN: **Hey everyone! First off, I am _so _sorry for the wait! I tried to update sooner but I was busy with school and stuff and well, it took me some time, but here it is anyway! I hope I can post the next chapter a bit sooner than this one.

Secondly, thank you very much again for those of you who reviewed! It really means a lot to me. *I know, I said that already, but hey, it really does! :)*

Oh, and just to be clear; it is indeed AU after 3x20. Peyton asked Jake to marry her, he said yes and she never said _"I love you, Lucas"_ in her sleep. They got married as planned and she moved to Savannah. However, as you will see in this chapter, Lily and Jamie were still born and some other elements from season 4 did stick as well, you'll learn more about it later on.

I'll let you read now, I really hope you enjoy it!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3. Here In the Place Where We Belong<strong>

_He's coming home, too._

Four words.

Four simple words that made her feel way too many emotions all at the same time.

It surprised her. It also made her kind of mad. Then again, it somehow made her just a tad _happy_ as well, although she wasn't planning on admitting that last part to anyone, she hardly wanted to believe it herself.

Then, there was all the guilt Jake knew she had been feeling ever since that day two years ago resurfacing again.

She also couldn't deny how she somehow even felt ashamed.

From the moment Brooke had told her he was coming home as well, she had been thinking of ways to avoid him. She knew she didn't need to, but she couldn't help herself from somehow not wanting to face him just yet.

On the other hand, she _had _already been avoiding someone for the last year and it turned out to be not such a great success.

In the end, she'd have to face him anyway.

She just didn't think it'd happen so soon.

"You know, I'd never thought that when we would meet again, it'd be like such a cliché." He finally spoke after they both simply stood there looking at each other for a long, long time. "The River court." He elaborated when she didn't answer.

The River court.

In all honesty, she hadn't really been thinking about where she was going when she left Brooke's place a while ago. If she had, she certainly wouldn't have gone to the River court. Doing that was simply asking for him to show up.

"Oh." It was the silliest of answers, but for some reason her mind just didn't seem able to form something else.

He actually laughed just a little at her answer. It was crystal-clear she hadn't expected him to show up. He hadn't exactly expected to see her either on his first day in town again.

"So, you're home?" He asked then just because he simply didn't know what else to say. Actually, he _did _know some things, he just didn't think it was the right time to say those things –if time would ever be right at all.

She only nodded and turned away from him just a bit.

"What about Jake?"

"What about Lindsey?" She fired back his question, turning around again quickly and knowing all too well he had come home _alone_.

"That's only fair, I guess." He nodded slowly, a hint of a small smile around his lips. "We… We actually got divorced last year." Lucas admitted softly, not quite sure if she knew already or not.

She nodded again before she spoke just as softly. "Yeah, so did Jake and I…"

Well, that was something _he _didn't know.

Over the years, he hadn't held that much contact with her, but he somehow did always know what was going on in her life. They'd mail each other a couple times or Brooke or Haley would tell him something, but he was never completely in the dark about how she was doing.

However, two years ago he started to think it'd be better for the both of them if they simply didn't keep in touch all that often anymore –not that they ever kept in touch all that much. It'd be better for both of them if they'd just 'banned' each other from their lives. It'd make him stop thinking about her just a little bit. At least, that's what he liked to tell himself. Because honestly, there hadn't been a day she wasn't on his mind.

They lived their lives and he got married and she wasn't there, just like he hadn't been there when she did, and they both had a job that made them happy and they'd meet up with their friends sometimes. They both still had the same friends. They just didn't have the other as a friend anymore.

They simply lived their lives. She with Jake in Savannah, he with Lindsey in New York.

They both had known something about that picture didn't quite sit right.

He took a seat at the bleachers and was surprised just a bit when she followed and took place next to him.

"What happened?" He asked then and this time it was she who was surprised.

"Really, Lucas? _You _are asking me what happened?" Peyton said, letting out a short, humorless laugh.

"You told him." He stated more than asked and couldn't help lower his head a little. "I'm sorry, Peyton."

"It's okay." She answered and shrugged one of her shoulders. His words, their words actually, took her back to all the times she had apologized to Jake and all the times he had insisted it was okay. In the end, it hadn't been that okay at all.

"Is it?" Lucas simply asked, making her look up at him. They locked eyes for just a second before Peyton looked away and softly shook her head.

"I have to go. I'll see you around, I guess." She said then and before Lucas knew she had already disappeared from the court.

It'd be a lie if he would say he had imagined their first meeting again this way.

However, he _had_ known it wouldn't be all happy faces and '_I'm happy you're home_' and '_I missed you_'. He _had _missed her, he had, but somehow he didn't have the right to miss her. If you could have a 'right' to miss someone, at all.

If you could, then he had kind of lost it when he did the one thing he promised himself he'd never do again.

It wasn't only his fault, they were both to blame for what had happened and they both knew it, but that didn't take away the fact that he still had done something he never thought of doing again.

The thing was; he was a loyal man. He had always been loyal to the ones he loved. His family and friends knew he was reliable, trustworthy.

Yet, there had been times he hadn't been that loyal to that one person that maybe should matter the most.

For example, your girlfriend. Or the woman you decide you want to spend the rest of your life with. The woman you proposed to and is planning your wedding.

He _should _have been loyal to her. He _should_ have been that reliable and trustworthy man he always claimed to be. Because she did trust him. And she was as loyal to him as he always said he was to her.

However, in the end he hadn't been that loyal and trustworthy man he'd always wanted to be.

Because at the end of the day, no matter what happened, there still always was Peyton Sawyer. And he knew she simply would always be there as well.

He just wished he would have figured that out the moment she walked away from him when they were still those two scared seventeen year olds.

If he had, he would've never let her walk away so easily.

If he had, he knew things would've gone differently.

If he had, he also knew they would've saved each other –and others as well– from a lot of heartache.

He hadn't though, and somehow sometimes that seemed like the biggest mistake he had ever made.

Because, no matter what, in the end that always turned out to be the moment where he had truly lost her –if he had ever 'had' her at all.

* * *

><p>"Lucas!" A voice exclaimed before he even fully stepped into the café. Looking up, he saw a bright smiling Haley rushing towards him and not a second later she had her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug.<p>

"Hales, can't breathe." He said and couldn't help but laugh when she pulled away quickly.

"Sorry." Haley answered sheepishly, however, not letting that bright smile disappear. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't I call you this morning to tell you I was coming home?" Lucas asked and nudged her side lightly while they walked towards the counter.

She shrugged one shoulder and walked behind the counter. "I just didn't think you'd be home so soon. Coffee?"

"Thank you." Lucas nodded and took a seat. "I always thought you were a teacher now, you know? Seems like you're secretly still a waitress at Karen's Café." He said teasingly, letting out a soft laugh and earning a playful glare from his best friend.

"I'm helping your mom out, thank you very much. Nice to know you haven't lost your sense of humor though." She answered and took a cup of coffee for herself as well. "I'm really happy you're home, Luke. We all missed you."

"Yeah, I missed you all too. How's Jamie?"

"He's great. He'll be even better when he sees you." Haley said and couldn't help the smile spreading over her face at the mention of her boy. "How are _you_?"

"I'm great as well." Lucas answered rather confused at the serious look she was giving him. "That okay?" He asked and squinted maybe just a bit.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. It's just… You just divorced Lindsey, Lucas."

"Haley, it's been a year. I'm okay, really."

He flashed her that trademark Scott smirk, hoping it would somehow reassure his best friend. He didn't want to talk about Lindsey and most of all, he actually was okay. Yes, he got divorced and he hadn't expected that to happen when he got married just the year before that, but who does, right? It didn't take away the fact that he really was fine now.

"Hey, you know Peyton's home as well?" He asked then, trying to get away from the subject of his ex-wife. The fact that he immediately thought of Peyton didn't quite surprise Haley.

"Yes, kind of a great timing the both of you got, right?" She answered with a little smile at her lips and a raised eyebrow. "You saw her already?"

"I didn't know, Hales." He said, holding up his hands a bit, smiling as well. He really hadn't known. He couldn't say he didn't like she had in fact moved back home. "And yeah, I saw her at the River court earlier."

"And?"

"And what?"

"_Lucas_." Haley said, giving him a pointed look. "You know what I mean."

"There's nothing to say, Hales. We talked a bit, then she left. End of story." Lucas told her and shifted his attention back to his coffee. However, he could still feel the look she was giving him, telling him she knew there must have been something more to it than he led on. "Haley, believe me. It's all okay."

"Okay, fine. I believe you." She said then and softened her look. "You know you can talk to me though, right? I still am your best friend, you know."

"I know, thank you." He answered, smiling softly.

Just about when Haley opened her mouth to answer him, they heard the door of the café open, followed by little footsteps.

"Luke!" A bubbly, little brunette called out to him. "You're home!"

"Well, hello you little bunny." Lucas laughed as he caught his little sister into his arms. "How are you doing, princess?"

"Good. Do you like my dress? Brooke made it for me." She stated proudly, making both Haley and Lucas let out some good bunch of chuckles.

"Lily, didn't I tell you already you should wait for me when you – Lucas!" Karen exclaimed as well when she walked into the café and almost let her things fall onto the floor. "What are you doing here?" She asked smiling as bright as could be.

"Guess I'm moving home." He said with a smile as well, putting Lily back onto the floor and making his way over to Karen. "Hi, mom."

It had been a little over five months since the last time she had seen her son and she had surely missed him dearly. She knew he had his own life and that he needed to live that life the way he wanted to, but she couldn't be happier that he had finally decided to live it in Tree Hill now instead of New York.

Hugging his mother tightly, he knew there'd never be a place feeling that much as home as Tree Hill. Looking back now, he figured that maybe he should've never left at all.

"So you're staying? Like, _really _staying? You're not leaving again? And _where_ are you staying? You can live with us if you want, you know. I know it's a little crowded with Lily now, but we'll figure something out, you –"

"Mom, hey, you're rambling." Lucas interrupted her with a light laugh and hugged her again quickly. "Yes, I'm really staying. No, I'm not leaving again. I do know where I'm staying as well. I found this great apartment already, but I don't have the keys yet, so yes I'd like to stay at the house until I have my keys."

"Sorry." She said, smiling sheepishly. "I'm just happy you're home. I missed you here. _We _missed you."

"I know, I missed you too."

They moved on to the counter where Haley was still standing. Lily quickly settled into her brother's lap, a wide grin never leaving her face. It was all Karen could've wished for in that moment. She herself with her two children in the town they all loved deeply.

"I gotta go now, but it's really great to have you back, Luke." Haley started after a while of small conversation between the four of them. She hugged both Lucas and Karen quickly and pressed a kiss to Lily's hair before making her way out of the café.

"You know Peyton's back as well? She's been here this morning." Karen said, breaking the silence that was formed after Haley left. "She seemed, I don't know… somber."

"It's been some tough years, mom." Lucas said, shaking his head a bit and shifting his attention once again to his cup of coffee.

"I know, I know." She nodded while stroking Lily's hair, who was already dozing off in Lucas' arms. "Still, I don't like seeing her this way. Or you for that matter." She pointed out, letting him know there was no need in hiding from her.

"It'll be all fine, mom." Lucas said and gave her a reassuring smile.

She only nodded and let the silence linger between them for a while before answering him at last.

"It really is great to have you back, Lucas. For all of us."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ... <strong>What do you think?

Peyton's back, Lucas is home too, we just had their 'first' encounter, seems like things are going to get interesting? lol, I sound like a bad commercial!

Anyway, thank you for reading and of course, reviews are always appreciated!


	4. Hometown Glory

**AN: **Update! I tried my hardest to get this chapter up sooner than the previous one and I think I succeeded, right? lol It's a pretty long one considering the length of the other chapters, but there was just so much I wanted to tell in this chapter and well, it's just a tiny bit longer than the other ones (: You don't really mind now, do you?

Anyways, once again thank you for the reviews/alerts, I'm all *happy dance* when I get one (yeah, that's the dork in me, I guess lol) I appreciate it _so _much!

Oh, just this little thing I thought of; the story is LP, of course it is ;p, yet you'll get _a lot _more P. Saywer than Luke... Not that I don't love him, I do, the story is just a whole lot more Peyton-centric for some reason. Just thought I should let you know this *that is if anyone actually reads this of course* because I don't want you to go all wondering where the heck Lucas is sometimes!

I guess I should now stop talking and let you read, right? _Enjoy (:_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4. Hometown Glory<strong>

"So P. Sawyer, what's your plan?"

It was just a simple question, something you know to be expected after you move back to the town you left six years ago. Yet, Peyton had a fairly hard time answering it.

Because, hell, what _was _her plan?

In all honesty, she didn't quite know.

Moving back home was a decision made somewhat in a haze. She had been thinking about it for quite a while before she actually did so, but time and time again she found herself a reason to stay in Savannah. When she finally did decide to move, she simply packed her things, called her boss and Brooke and left without much further thought.

Unfortunately, leaving so quickly left her now with only one thing to be really sure of.

Tree Hill.

And the fact that that simply was _home _and always would be.

However, that simple fact still didn't get her a plan.

"Actually, I don't really know. I just… I want to stay here. In Tree Hill, I mean. I'm not leaving again." Peyton answered Brooke's question at last.

"Good." Brooke smiled and took a sip of her tea. "I won't let you go anyway." She continued matter-of-factly, making Peyton let out a soft chuckle. "But what do you want to do here? I mean, you loved your job in Savannah, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I did." Peyton nodded with a small smile.

She had in fact loved her job in Savannah for years. It was just a small gallery in a quiet small street, but she had never seen anyone as passionate about art as the people there. However, Savannah wasn't the same as Tree Hill and she knew how she wouldn't find such thing in their hometown. Still, she also knew that didn't mean she couldn't do anything at all involving art either.

"Peyton?" Brooke asked when the blonde didn't continue but instead just stared into space.

"Sorry. Lost in thought, I guess." She said. "It's just… You know, sometimes I thought about my own art gallery back in Savannah. It seemed like a good idea, but I don't really know anymore now."

"Why not?" Brooke answered, giving her an encouraging smile that let Peyton know she was already on board with the idea. "I think you'd be able to do so. You're passionate, you know the business. You'd be great."

"You're my best friend, aren't these just the standard answers?"

"Maybe so." She said and they both had to let out a light laugh. "Not in your case though. I really do think you'd be able to open your own gallery." She nodded her head slightly as if emphasizing her words. "Just think about it, Peyton."

"I will." Peyton said, nodding as well. "Anyway, we better get going now. Nathan and Haley, remember?"

"Right. Leave it to Naley to gather the whole town for a barbeque." She grumbled while getting up from her spot on the couch.

"You're just jealous you didn't think of organizing one yourself." Peyton laughed, receiving a playful glare from her best friend before they made their way out of the house.

* * *

><p>"Aunt Peyton!" Jamie yelled excitedly when he saw his two aunts walking into the backyard. Not much later she caught him into her arms as he ran towards them.<p>

"Hey Baby James." She greeted her 'nephew' although the six year old was far from a baby these days.

It had become her nickname for him from the moment he was born and she still called him that from time to time, more often than not resulting in an annoyed look from Jamie himself. However, secretly he couldn't help but love that his aunt still called him that every now and then.

It still surprised her sometimes just how much that boy seemed to like her, love even. She had left their hometown before he was even born, yet she had always made it a priority for herself not to miss that much from the boy's life. For her, moving away to be with Jake certainly didn't mean missing out on her friends lives and she had always tried her best to keep in touch with them through the years.

"I'm happy you're home now." He stated when Peyton put him back onto his feet. "You know Uncle Lucas is back as well? Now I don't have to miss any of you anymore."

"I'm happy too, Jamie." She said, smiling gently at the boy and ruffling his hair a bit before he ran off to say hello to Brooke as well.

Looking around, she saw another Scott making his way towards her and simply couldn't help but smile brightly at him.

"Sawyer, hey!" Nathan said and wrapped her up in a hug, even lifting her a bit from the ground. "How are you?" He asked with a smile as he let her go. "Haley's going to be _so _happy to see you, by the way. She's been talking about you needing to come home ever since you and Jake, you know…"

"I know." Peyton nodded softly and gave him a small smile. "What about you, Hotshot? Happy I'm back as well?" She said then teasingly and trying, not so subtle, to get away from the Jake subject.

"What'd you think?" He simply asked while shooting her a wink before guiding her into the backyard and house.

It was the first time she ever stepped into the Scott household, but somehow it was exactly the way she expected it to be. It was nice and welcoming and just _warm_. She could easily picture Nathan and Haley living there with Jamie and being perfectly happy. It was big too, but she knew all too well how both Nathan and Haley had worked really hard to earn it. It simply felt like them and somehow Peyton felt oddly proud of them for having succeeded in the things they wanted to and earning the life they led right then.

Being completely honest, she might have felt just a bit jealous of them too. She couldn't deny how it was in fact hard for her to be there. It wasn't like she didn't want to be there, of course she did, it was just a bit though seeing all her friends so completely happy. The kind of happy she had been as well before. She knew it had only been a year since their divorce, which was actually not that long in comparison to the years they had spent together, but she somehow felt like maybe she shouldn't feel this broken and lost and utterly sorrowful anymore. Yet, it hadn't been until she had arrived here that she really realized just how much she had lost. She witnessed Brooke and Julian happily married and awaiting their baby, she saw Nathan and Haley as happy as they had ever been and she couldn't help but want for herself all the same things. However, she knew far too well how it was in fact her own fault her life had come to this.

"Peyton Sawyer." A female voice broke her from her thoughts.

She hadn't realized until she heard that voice just how long, maybe a bit too long, she had just been standing there in Nathan and Haley's living room. Turning around, she was met with a smiling Haley.

"Haley James Scott." Peyton said, mimicking her a little and smiling as well. "I missed you." She said then and walked closer. Hugging each other, it felt like a lot more than just a couple months since they had last seen each other. "How are you?"

"I'm great. Really happy you're here by the way." Haley answered, that smile not leaving her face. "How are you doing, girly?"

"I'm okay." She told Haley with a strong nod of her head although she knew very well how Haley was one of those persons who could easily look through her tough front. She was proven right when she noticed the knowing look Haley sent her, but quickly brushed it away with a smile.

"Good." Haley said with a small nod as well and maybe a little sigh too. "What about some food, huh? I was just about to bring Nathan the meat for the barbeque." She continued and jerked her head a bit towards the kitchen.

"That sounds about great. I'll help you." Peyton smiled once again and followed Haley into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"You know, I really think this is how it's supposed to be." Brooke mused, breaking the silence between the three women. "Not that I didn't love being here with only you, Tutor Mom, but I'm quite happy P. Sawyer's back as well."<p>

Haley laughed lightly and could only nod in agreement. "I know what you mean. Tree Hill is happy to have you back, Peyton." She said and got up from her chair to fill their glasses once again.

"You guys, sun, wine –or apple juice for our pregnant girl. I agree, this is how it's supposed to be." Peyton said with a smile as she leaned back in her chair.

After they had all eaten and some others had left, it was only Brooke and Julian, Lucas and Lily and Peyton left at Nathan and Haley's. Julian, Lucas and Nathan were playing in the garden with the children, leaving the three women alone at the table.

"It surprises me Jamie and Lily are out there playing with them." Haley smiled, nodding at the two children. "I don't think I've ever seen Jamie that happy to see you."

"That boy certainly loves his Aunt Peyton." Brooke agreed and made them all let out a soft chuckle. It wasn't hard to notice how both Jamie and Lily had been more than happy to have Peyton there all day. "Then again, we all do, don't we? I know this one will do so as well." She finished with a smile as her hand traveled down to her slightly visible baby bump.

"How's that going, by the way? Do you know already if it's a boy or a girl?" Haley asked excitedly, sitting up a bit straighter in her chair.

Both Brooke and Peyton couldn't help but laugh just a tiny tad at their friend. She sounded so excited, almost as if it was she herself expecting the baby. "Actually yes, we do. They told us on our latest appointment." She answered, smiling a little wider.

"And?" Haley asked, sort of beaming a bit.

"And I won't tell you." Brooke said laughingly as she got up from her chair, heading towards the door leading to the living room to get another drink.

"Why not? We're your friends, right?"

"We won't tell, Haley. You'll all have to wait." Julian laughed as well as he reached his wife by the door, pressing a kiss to her temple, before making his way over to the table where the other men and children were already sat.

Again, Peyton couldn't hold back laughter at Haley's face and soon the others gave in to laughter as well. Only Haley stayed put with quite a pout on her face, although Peyton could see a smile forming as well. "Stop pouting, Haley. It's their good right, you know." She said, still just a bit laughingly, while picking up Jamie from the ground and putting him onto her lap.

"Yeah Mama, Aunt Peyton's right, stop pouting." Jamie said, flashing her a sweet and playful smile causing Haley to let herself smile as well.

"Fine." She grumbled playfully. "You're not off the hook though!" She called out to Brooke once again and got up herself to follow the brunette into the house.

For a while, Peyton just sat there, watching her friends with a smile. Lucas, Nathan and Julian were engaged in some sort of sports conversation even though chances were high Julian had no idea what the other two were talking about. She knew sports weren't quite his forte. She could also hear Brooke and Haley inside, swapping pregnancy stories and talking about how great it'd be to have another baby in the 'family'. Then there were Jamie and Lily, both sitting on her lap. It wasn't the most comfortable position to sit in, but when Lily had asked her oh-so sweetly if she could sit with her as well, she hadn't been able to say no to the girl.

"Aunt Peyton?" Jamie then asked after some good moments. He had been talking to Lily about one thing or another but had now shifted his attention towards Peyton.

"Yeah buddy?"

"Would you like to play with us on the swings?"

"Sure, little man." She said with a smile, getting up as well after Jamie and Lily had done so. Watching them running of towards the swings, her smile only grew wider.

* * *

><p>"Then there were two." A voice she would recognize anywhere and anytime sounded somewhere behind her. Jamie and Lily had gone back to the house, but she had chosen to stay at the swings for just a little while longer. She kinda liked the quiet this part of the garden held and didn't want to head back to the house just yet.<p>

She turned a bit so she was facing him and showed him a small yet somehow –and he could certainly tell so– sad smile. He took a seat on one of the other swings and silently swayed a little, simply not feeling the need to fill the air with conversation.

He couldn't recall the last time they just sat in silence next to one another, letting their selves just _be_. They didn't need to talk to each other. Not in that moment, anyway. Right then, they could both just sit there and enjoy each other's company without having to talk about all the things they in fact had to talk about at some point. Because as much as they both wished it would be like that, they simply weren't those two seventeen year old teenagers who once spent a summer together anymore. They both had changed and so had their relationship.

However, in that moment it just wasn't needed to bring up that subject quite yet and they both certainly knew so.

"They love you, you know. Lily and Jamie, I mean." He spoke at last and startled her maybe just a bit. "I haven't seen her that excited in quite a while. Or Jamie for that matter." He said, not able not to smile at the thought of his little sister and nephew.

It was indeed the truth. It somehow had surprised her just how much time both kids had wanted to spend with her that afternoon and evening. She couldn't say she didn't love it though.

"Yeah, they had fun, right?"

"Of course they had." Lucas nodded with a smile. She nodded as well and silence settled between them again for a while. "What about you? You had fun too?"

"Yeah, yeah, I had." She said. However, that lone tear she tried to wipe away quickly didn't go unnoticed by Lucas and the faint smile she gave him when she saw he had noticed didn't get him any less worried either.

"Peyton, hey. You okay?" He asked rather worriedly and moved a bit closer. Not that that changed much seeing as they were both sitting on separate swings.

"She reminds me of Jenny, you know. Lily. It's just… hard, I guess." She said, wiping away yet another tear.

She had no idea why she was opening up to him in that moment, especially considering their past, yet it felt nothing short than _right_. She could only guess it had simply always been that way between them. As much as things had in fact changed, the fact that he could still get her to open up just by being there for her hadn't.

"You miss her."

"Yeah, it's been a while since I last saw her."

"Jake didn't let you see her?" He asked, watching her as she got up from the swing.

"Oh, no, no. He did." She quickly said with a strong nod of her head. "Just not that much anymore, you know? I mean, it just wasn't, isn't, like it used to be." Peyton finished, shrugging a shoulder and twisting her lips in some sort of attempt to smile.

Lucas only nodded and sat with her in silence for a little while longer. In all those years they had known each other, most of the time he knew exactly when she needed him to talk and when she simply didn't want him to, when she just wanted him to be quiet next to her. But now, as he sat there with her, he really couldn't decipher whether he should speak or not. Whether she _wanted _him to or not. Fearing that the silence between them might become a tad too uncomfortable, he decided to just speak already.

"What about now? You're even further away from her now than you were there." He pointed out softly, not to rub it in even more, but simply because he had the feeling she might just _needed _to really talk about it.

"I know." She nodded just as softly. "I actually called her yesterday. She sounded happy, but… sad too, you know?" She continued and it didn't go unnoticed by him how her voice broke just a little at the end and she had to wipe away another few tears rolling down her cheek. He didn't hesitate one bit to get up from the swing as well and pulling her wordlessly into his arms, not even thinking about how she could react to that simple action of him.

Peyton on her turn didn't fight his hold either and just let herself be in his arms for a while. And although she did a fairly good attempt at ignoring it, she couldn't help to actually think how good it felt being there. However, she soon realized just who was holding her and pulled away from him, looking down at the ground.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I…" She said, brushing away the last of her tears and then gesturing between the two of them. "I'm sorry." She said once again as she already backed away from him a little. "I should head back to the house now, I guess. I, um… I'll be seeing you, right?" Peyton finished, but had already disappeared before he could answer.

She left him standing there by the swings, wondering if it would always be like this between them from now on.

* * *

><p>"So…" Nathan drawled out as he sat himself next to her on the back porch. "How is it to be back?"<p>

"Good, it's been a really good day." Peyton answered smilingly. "You have one amazing son by the way." She said and wasn't that surprised when she saw him beam with proud just a little.

"He's a real Scott boy." He nodded a bit matter-of-factly as if that explained her previous statement. "What about the other Scott?"

"You? You shouldn't be fishing for compliments like that, Nate." She said jokingly, nudging his side.

"You know I meant Lucas."

She did. She just didn't know how to answer his question. At the moment, she simply didn't know about the other Scott. It had been quite a weird day between the two of them and although she could've expected that, it still felt rather odd to admit how they stood even further away from each other's lives as they did a couple years ago.

They had barely talked to the other, expect for their little conversation on the swings just a while ago, but all day long there still had been that tension and she doubted she was the only one who had noticed.

"Did you have an affair?" Nathan then asked bluntly after some good moments of silence. He didn't mean to be so straightforward, yet he still felt like if he wasn't right now, she wouldn't be telling him much either.

"I, we… Did we _what_?" Peyton brought out, clearly taken aback by his question. She knew her friend could be quite direct, but she hadn't exactly expected him to be _that _bluntly either. She also had no idea how he could've know –or at least have an idea of it– what had happened between them. On the other hand, he _was _Haley's husband who on her turn was Lucas' best friend. And it wasn't like she hadn't told Brooke anything either. Still, she simply hadn't thought of Lucas telling anyone as well.

"Sorry, it's probably none of my business, but it's just… You have all this tension between you, you know. And not the good kind if you ask me. Doesn't seem quite healthy actually, Sawyer." He said and nudged her side lightly with his elbow. "And you know, I'm not the prying kind, I'm not, it's just that I know Haley knows something, so does Brooke and I'm just sitting there watching all this tension between the two of you and I just wondered." He finished, shrugging one of his shoulders.

"I mean, there has to be something, right? You both got divorced at the same time too." Nathan started again when she didn't answer immediately. "You don't have to talk to me, you know, but maybe it'll do you some good. You never know, right?"

"You just feel a bit left out, Nate, it's no big deal admitting that." She answered teasingly, letting out a soft chuckle which Nathan had no problem matching. However, she soon sobered as she thought of his words again. "We… We saw each other a couple of times in New York. It, it was stupid. It brought us only more pain and sorrow and… Maybe it just shouldn't have happened." Peyton said quietly and closed her eyes shortly. "Anyway, it's in the past now, you know." She said then, looking up at Nathan and nodding her head a bit.

"Yeah." Nathan answered, nodding as well. "What about now though? You're both back now, doesn't it feel a bit like the past is coming back too to haunt you?" He asked seriously and she couldn't help but smile at the way he seemed to care.

"I've been thinking the exact same thing since Brooke told me he was coming home too." She agreed. "But I don't know, maybe we really can leave it behind us. Be friends, you know." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"You need to talk first to be friends, Sawyer." He pointed out with a slightly raised eyebrow. "And seeing the way you two look at each other it seems to me you have a lot to talk about."

"I don't know, feels like everything we needed to say about it has already been said two years ago." Peyton answered and shrugged her shoulders again. She knew, however, that her words weren't exactly true.

"You really think that?"

"Maybe." She said as she once again looked up to meet his eyes. "I knew it wasn't going to be easy, you know, moving back home. Especially when I heard he was coming too. But I didn't think it'd be this complicated or weird between us either." She finished quietly, looking down again.

Nathan moved closer and puller her into his side. "You just need some time. And some good friends by your side." He reassured her as he stroked her arm a little.

"Good luck I have both then, right?" Peyton said with a small smile as she leaned a bit into his side as well.

"Yeah, don't you ever forget we'll always have your back, okay?"

"Okay." She answered softly, still smiling.

They stayed sitting there for quite a while after that, both lost in thought and not really caring it might be getting a bit later and Brooke or Haley might be wondering where they are.

She's thinking that even though she got divorced and that still hurts and she misses Jenny like hell and although things are fairly complicated between her and Lucas and she has no idea what her life is going to be like from now on, she still feels better than she has in a long time. She's also thinking that might have a whole lot to do with the fact that she has her best friends right there, right next to her.

She had missed that feeling of having them there.

She couldn't help but smile at that thought, simply because she doesn't have to miss it anymore.

They're right next to her, right now, and that's all that really matters anyway.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ... <strong>Like it, love it, hate it? Please let me know your thoughts (:

Thank you for reading!


	5. Plans

**AN: **Thanks to the fact that my afternoon classes got cancelled today, I'm able to give you all an update earlier than I expected to! I'm once again sorry for the wait, I really tried to update sooner, but it just wasn't possible...

Anyhow, I hope you'll be happy with the new chapter (: _Enjoy_!

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><p><strong>Chapter 5. Plans<strong>

When you move and leave your job and the place where you have lived for a while behind, people expect you to know what you'll do next.

You'll find a new job or you have some sort of a plan, at least. And you simply know what you'll do with your life from then on.

Because it is in fact okay to change plans, there's no problem with that. Just as long as you _know _what your next one is.

You don't move and leave everything you once built there behind _without _having a next plan.

When you do that, that's when things become tricky.

Because, no matter how you word it, it always comes down to the simple fact that you are indeed supposed to _know _what you'll do.

Because you _should _do something.

She didn't know. She had in fact left Savannah without having that next plan you seemingly really need. It left her with always the same unanswered question; _"What's your plan now?"_.

It was what Brooke had asked her just a couple days ago. It was what almost everyone she had seen at that barbeque at Nathan and Haley's had asked her.

It was what she had asked herself more than once as well.

"I don't think I can do this." She said and sounded maybe just a tad desperate. "I mean, it's hard, you know? And there's so much to do and so much to _pay_. It's not like I'm rich or something." She continued, but didn't miss the frown appearing on the other woman's face at her last words. "What?"

"You don't need to be rich to do it, Peyton. I wasn't, far from even. I'm still not rich, by the way." Karen answered, smiling gently. "You just need the right people next to you. And you do, believe me."

"I know." Peyton nodded, letting herself smile a bit as well. "But still, how am I going to do it? There's so much I need to do. I need artists for example, I can't fill it all on my own."

"And since when is Peyton Sawyer afraid of a challenge? It'll be hard work yes, but you'll never get anything without working for it, you know."

"You're right, I know that. It's just… I'm not afraid of the work, you know, I just don't know if I'll be able to do this. I mean, just… On my own." She said, sighing just a little. "Besides, I've been driving through town yesterday and there's just no place for it. Tree Hill has no space left for an art gallery."

"I think you're wrong there." Karen stated with a small smile and got from behind the counter to help out some customers.

"And why is that?" Peyton asked as she turned around on her stool so she could still see Karen.

"I might know some place."

"Really? Where?"

"TRIC."

"TRIC?" She repeated Karen, a little dumbfounded.

"Yes, TRIC." Karen said as she sat herself next to Peyton, making her turn around again.

"Are you serious?"

"Would I be telling you something like this if I wasn't?" She smiled and had to let out a soft chuckle at Peyton's face. She looked as if she didn't believe one single word of what Karen was saying, yet she also looked like she was about to break out in tears of happiness.

"You're serious." Peyton stated, widening her eyes a little. "You're serious!" She repeated and leaned over so she could hug Karen. However, when they let go of each other, Karen could see that hint of doubt in Peyton's eyes and couldn't help but frown at it.

"What?" She asked, just knowing there was indeed something.

"I… I can't take this, Karen." Peyton answered and shook her head slightly. "I mean, it's great you propose this, but I can't take it."

"Oh Peyton, of course you can." Karen said, taking Peyton's hand in hers and squeezing it lightly. "Look, the place is empty anyway, I'm not even doing anything with it. There's no reason you couldn't start your gallery there. TRIC attracts a lot of people, I'm sure that'll help starting up the gallery as well. It's a great combination if you ask me." She finished with a smile, hoping she could convince her since she just knew how badly Peyton wanted it.

"You really mean this, don't you?" Peyton said more than she asked, returning Karen's smile with a small one of her own. "And you really think I could do it?"

"I think you can do it, yes. And I'll be here whenever you need me for something."

"You know you're an incredible woman, right?" She asked right before she leaned over to hug Karen once again.

She couldn't deny how that proposal had actually just made her day. Just a couple minutes ago, she was fairly sure there would be no gallery, yet she now couldn't help but really, really wanting to start it up there. It kind of surprised her though, how it was in fact _Karen_, Lucas' mother, helping her out and actually offering her the space for it. She also knew, however, that even if Karen knew anything at all about her and Lucas, she wasn't one to interfere and blame her. Karen was one of those people who simply let people sort out their messes on their own, not pointing an accusatory finger towards someone.

"God, this is really amazing! I just can't believe it." Peyton said a few moments later, shaking her head slightly. "And there's so much I need to do right now. I need a plan, and I should go to the bank and oh, we have to arrange the rent and…"

"Did you not hear what I said?" Karen asked smilingly. "Let me repeat: the place is empty anyway, I don't even use it. You can have it for free."

"Karen, no. I'm not letting you rent that place for free."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not. I –"

"What are you two doing here?" Karen then asked suddenly, interrupting and startling Peyton. Her attention was set on the two people in the doorway of the café. Peyton turned around too and couldn't help but smile as she saw Lily dancing into the place with Lucas trailing behind her. She quickly turned back though, sending Karen a look that let her know she wasn't done yet discussing that little issue, only to have it brushed away with a smile from Karen herself.

"Little missy here _insisted _we took a walk to town." Lucas said, chuckling softly at Lily's antics as she was still dancing before jumping onto Peyton's lap. "We were on the other side of the street when she saw you sitting here. She practically dragged me down here, wanting to see you again." He told Peyton and took a seat next to her. "We couldn't head back home without 'visiting' Peyton, right Lily?" He asked his little sister, using the same words she had used to 'convince' him to go to the café.

"Of course not. And she was sitting here all by herself. Now she has company." Lily said, pleased with herself for noticing Peyton was all alone at the café. "Why are you here alone? Can't Brooke come with you? She's your friend, right?" She asked then, shifting a bit in Peyton's lap so she could face her properly.

"I wasn't alone, actually. I was talking to your mom." Peyton explained, laughing softly at Lily's logic. "And Brooke had something else to do, otherwise I'm sure she would've come with me." She continued with a smile and tickled the girl's sides lightly. "But thank you for coming to keep me company."

"You're welcome." She answered, showing Peyton a wide smile. Turning her head to face her brother, that Scott smirk apparently even _she _had inherited appeared on her face. "See, told you Peyton would be happy to see us."

"Yeah smartass, you did." He laughed and lightly tapped her nose. "You want something to drink?"

"Can I have pie?" Lily asked sweetly, looking up at Lucas.

"And since when is pie a _drink_?"

"Since… now?" She said and scrunched up her nose in an adorable way, causing Peyton to let out a quiet chuckle.

Exchanging a look with Karen, Lucas sighed playfully at last. "Okay then, you can have some pie."

"Sweet!" Lily exclaimed before hopping down onto the floor and following Lucas into the little kitchen in the back of the café, leaving Karen and Peyton at the counter.

* * *

><p>"I love it here. It's perfect." Peyton said, admiring the place they had just entered.<p>

After Lily had finished her pie, the three of them, Lily, Karen and Peyton, had headed down to TRIC, leaving Lucas alone to run the café for a little while.

In the exact moment Peyton had walked into the place, she had completely fallen in love with it. It was big, big enough for a gallery, yet it was somehow also small enough to provide that pleasant atmosphere she had always loved about the gallery where she used to work in Savannah. It needed work though, a lot of work even, and although Peyton knew it'd definitely be a challenge to make the place look like she wanted it to be, she honestly couldn't wait to start.

It seemed to be exactly what she needed.

Not only the place, but the whole plan of opening a gallery. She needed something to work for, something that would give her life some meaning. Something of her own and something to be proud of. It seemed to be exactly what she needed in that moment to make her life that little bit better and making her forget for just a while about all those things she seemingly couldn't help but think of.

She had been back in Tree Hill for a little while now, yet this was the first day she actually felt like she was moving into a given direction again. It was the first day she really could say life didn't seem that bad anymore.

"It's pretty good, huh?" Karen agreed, smilingly as they made their way further into the place.

"It's perfect." Peyton repeated her earlier words. "Thank you so much, Karen. You have no idea how much it means to me." She said and quickly hugged Karen again. "I'm still paying you rent though."

"We'll see about that." She answered, that smile still firmly in its place. "What do you think, Lily?" Karen asked her daughter who simply stood there, watching the two women.

"I think it's cool here." Lily said with a strong nod of her head. "I would come to see your gallery-thingy here, Peytie." She finished with a giggle before running away to see what else the place had to offer.

"Lily, be careful!" Karen called out to her although she doubted the girl had heard her at all. She then turned back towards Peyton with an amused smile on her face. "Looks like you got your nickname, Peytie." She said with a laugh Peyton had no probably matching. "She tends to do that. Lucas became Lukey, Nathan got Natie. Don't ask me why but she seems to love it."

"It's okay. It's pretty cute actually."

"Yeah, be careful with that. She tends to do that too. Getting all cute and wrapping you around her little finger until you simply can't say no to anything. That girl's a genius, ask Lucas." Karen told Peyton, causing them both to let out some good bunch of chuckles.

"I already got the impression she knows her ways around her brother." Peyton agreed as they walked in the direction Lily had run off to.

"That boy is such a softie when it comes to Lily. He really can't tell her no. And boy, does she know that as well." She said and Peyton simply had to laugh at that. "Anyway, back onto business. This place it is then?" Karen asked although she already knew the answer.

"Oh, it's definitely this place." Peyton answered with the widest smile she had been wearing in a long time.

* * *

><p>Walking into the house, Julian greeted her with a smile as he looked up from the book he was currently reading. After getting a drink in the kitchen, she took a seat next to him on the couch and closed her eyes shortly, happy to be home after the day she had had. Opening her eyes again, she saw Julian had shifted his attention already back to the book.<p>

"Oh, you dork! You're reading a baby-book! That's _so _cute!" She exclaimed when she peeked over to see what book he was reading.

"Well yeah, it's Brooke's, thought I'd read a little, you know." He brushed away her comment, putting the book aside.

"It's good you're reading this." She nodded. "You know, you'll be prepared. You're gonna be such a good daddy." She continued in singsong voice, not able not to laugh at the glare he was giving her.

"Don't mock me for reading a baby-book!"

"I'm not mocking you! I actually do think it's good of you." Peyton defended herself, leaning over to take the book in her hands. "You read a lot already?"

"Not that much." Julian shrugged. "Just a few pages. It honestly is Brooke's, I just found it here." He said, letting out a quiet chuckle.

"Yeah, where is Brooke anyway? I have news for her." She said and the way her face lit up at the thought of that news of her didn't go unnoticed by Julian.

"She's in the bathroom, she won't take long anymore. At least, I think so, you never know of course." He told her and Peyton actually couldn't help but agree. You did indeed never know when it involved Brooke and a bathroom.

Just about when Julian wanted to ask Peyton more about her day, Brooke made her way into the living room, looking pointedly at Julian.

"Hey, no complaining about time spent in the bathroom, Mr. Baker!" She scolded playfully before leaning down to kiss him quickly.

"I would never complain about you, Mrs. Baker." He replied, grinning widely and kissed her again.

"Okay, not that I'm not happy the two of you are so happy, but could you please be your happy, 'blissfully in love'-selves when I'm not around?" Peyton said jokingly when Brooke and Julian broke apart.

"Sorry." Brooke smiled sheepishly although they all knew she wasn't that sorry. Not that it mattered anyway, Peyton couldn't be happier to see Brooke like this. "What's that news you have for me, P. Sawyer?" She asked then, remembering what she had heard when she had left the bathroom.

"Oh, right!" She said, sitting up a bit straighter. "I talked to Karen today and she got this proposition for me. She offered me to start up a gallery at TRIC. Well, not TRIC itself, but you know, there's some space there –an awesome place by the way, it honestly is just perfect– and anyway, I think I'm going to do it." Peyton finished her little ramble with an expectant smile, waiting for Brooke's reaction. Before she knew, Brooke had thrown her arms around Peyton's neck, squealing just a tiny bit.

"I'm so happy for you! You're gonna rock having your own gallery, you'll be great! I told you you could do it!"

"I haven't exactly done anything yet, Brooke." Peyton laughed, surprised by her best friend's enthusiasm even though she fully could've expected Brooke reacting like this.

"Oh, shut up! It's just a matter of time anyway." Brooke brushed away the comment with a wave of her hand, still grinning widely. "We should celebrate! Julian, bring the apple juice!" She all but ordered Julian who had just congratulated Peyton.

"Apple juice?" He questioned with a slightly raised eyebrow and his trademark grin.

"No champagne for me, means no champagne for you either." She nodded decisively before turning back to Peyton. "I'm really proud of you, Peyton. I know you haven't exactly started it up yet, but I really am already proud. You'll do great." She said, giving Peyton a genuine, full-dimpled smile and hugged her again.

"Thank you, Brooke." Peyton said softly as she hugged Brooke. Being completely honest about it, she maybe felt just the tiniest of bits proud of herself already too.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>You know that review-button at the bottom of this page? It's love! lol Keeps me pretty inspired too, so you know what to do! (:

Thank you for reading this chapter, also thanks to those of you who reviewed last one. I don't think I'll get tired of getting those anytime soon!

Now, I just wanted to say this one little thing... Finals start in two weeks and will last for three weeks, so I don't know if I'll be able to get the next chapter up before the end of June... I'm **_really _**going to try, I just can't promise anything. Weeks before finals are crazy, same goes for the actual finals and I simply don't know if I'll have enough time to finish some chapters. I promise I'll be back though!

Anyway, thank you once again for reading! Let me know what you think (:


	6. This Is the Start

**AN: **First of all, I am _so, so _sorry that it took me this long to update! I know I warned you beforehand, but I still feel kinda bad about it.. Oh well, not that much I can do about it now, right?

My exams are all done now and tomorrow I'll have officially graduated high school -not that it really is called high school here, but I guess that's what you could compare it with- anyway, that means it's now summer for me and _that _means I *should* have lots of time to write (: I honestly hope I can finish the next chapters a whole lot more sooner than I did this one.

I know the first parts of the chapter are kinda "fillerish" (does that word even make sense? lol) but well, they are still kinda needed I guess.. The last part of the chapter is one that I think is _**really **_needed, but I don't feel like I wrote it all that well.. I'm not quite sure about this chapter, but I still hope you get to like it!

_Enjoy! (:_

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><p><strong>Chapter 6. This Is the Start<strong>

Quietly humming to the music in the background, Peyton was sitting at the kitchen table, working on some papers involving the gallery, when she heard the door opening and someone entering the house. Looking up, she was met with the bright smile of her best friend.

"I found the _perfect _house for you!" Brooke stated, still standing in her doorway.

"Well, that's a subtle way of letting me know you want me out of your place." She replied jokingly, putting her pen down and giving Brooke her full attention.

"I didn't mean it like that! It's just that I really, _really _found the perfect house." Brooke insisted, making her way into the house as she dropped her bags and joined Peyton at the table. "It's not that far from here and I don't know, it just screams you. I already made you an appointment to go see it." She continued matter-of-factly and shrugged her shoulders just a bit.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Peyton asked, letting out quite some chuckles. "But well, if you say it's that perfect, I'll better go check it out right? I can't live with you and Julian forever."

"That's what I was thinking too." Brooke agreed with a chuckle of herself.

* * *

><p>"Damn Sawyer, when you said you needed a few people to help carrying some boxes, I thought you were talking about just a couple of boxes, not <em>this<em>. How much stuff can one person own?" Nathan said when he saw what had to be moved into Peyton's new house.

"It isn't _that _much!" Peyton protested, hitting Nathan's arm. "But if you think you can't do it…" She let her sentence trail and pulled out her cell phone, raising her eyebrow at him just a tad.

"Of course I can do it!" He answered while pulling the phone out of her hand. "But you know, no one ever died from a little bit of help."

"Okay, the more people, the less I need to do." She said jokingly, receiving an eye roll from Nathan. "Who are you calling?"

"Julian." Nathan said. "And Lucas."

"Lucas?"

"Yes." He told her matter-of-factly before dialing a number.

It had been a couple of weeks since Brooke had found the so-called perfect house for Peyton and after going to visit the place, Peyton had to agree with Brooke. It was indeed a perfect house for her.

It wasn't that big, but it didn't really need to be either. And it was modern style, yet not that cold kind of modern. It simply really felt like her and she was quite sure she was going to love living there.

Brooke had assured her it was no problem for both her and Julian if Peyton stayed a little while longer with them, so Peyton had made sure that things that had to be fixed and walls that had to be painted were all done before she actually moved into her new place.

"Luke and Julian are on their way." Nathan said after a couple of minutes. "They'll be here soon."

"They didn't make a problem of it?"

"Of course not. Julian is probably happy to have you out of his house." He laughed, receiving a glare from Peyton. "And I guess Lucas would take any chance to see you. I hear you've kind of been avoiding him lately. What's up with that?" He asked and nudged her lightly with his elbow.

"Nathan, please."

"What? It isn't true?"

"No, it isn't true. I actually have seen him a couple of times in the last few weeks. I'm just really busy you know, with the house and the gallery, he shouldn't think there's more into it than that. Besides, even if it was so, it's my good right to do so, no? A girl should have the right to avoid the guy she doesn't feel like seeing, for valid reasons by the way." Peyton said, rambling maybe a bit.

She realized herself how it probably sounded as if she actually had been avoiding him, but it really wasn't so. Well, she didn't think it was so, she honestly had been quite busy, but she also had to admit she might have stayed away from the café a little bit more than she probably would have if Lucas hadn't been in town. Still, it wasn't as if she shielded herself away from everyone just because she might see him somewhere though. She simply _was_ busy with getting her place ready to live in and starting up her gallery.

"Whoa, no need to get defensive, Blondie." Nathan said, holding his hands up in defense and trying not to laugh, but not quite succeeding. "He actually didn't say anything. It was just Haley and her theories of you avoiding him and that meaning something, you know her. But okay, you are clearly not avoiding him so, problem solved, right?"

"Yes." She nodded decisively and maybe felt just a tad embarrassed for her little outburst as a response to his simple question. The way Nathan was looking at her –he honestly had to try his hardest not to laugh at her face– didn't quite help either. "Let's start already, okay? There's no need to just stand here waiting for the others to show up."

"Sure, Sawyer. Let's get started." He agreed, but just had to let out some good bunch of chuckles first.

* * *

><p>"You should have stayed home, Brooke. There's not much you can do here anyway." Julian told his wife as he took a seat next to her on Peyton's brand new front porch. "You can't carry boxes and Lucas and Nathan doesn't really need another hand to help them with the furniture. Aren't you getting bored?"<p>

"Of course not. I'm just sitting here, watching you guys work, it's fun." She said, making him let out some chuckles. "Even though I am quite sure I actually could be carrying boxes, you know. I'm not some porcelain doll. I'm pregnant, not –"

"Sick. I know." Julian filled in for her. "But you're pregnant with _our _baby, and I'm not letting you take _any _risks." He finished with a smile and pressed a kiss against her temple.

"I know. I love you for this, you know?" She said with a smile of herself.

"For caring?"

"Yes, and for being so good to my, well our, friends."

"Well, you know, they aren't so bad." He said jokingly, knowing that his wife already knew just how much he loved their friends. "Besides, anything for you, Brooke Davis." Julian said grinning and kissed her quickly.

"Okay, you cheesiest couple alive. Go back to work you, you're the only guy who isn't busy doing something right now." Haley chimed in when Brooke and Julian broke apart. She sat herself next to Brooke as Julian got up and walked away to help Peyton out with some things. When she looked at Brooke, she was met with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"As if you and Nathan aren't cheesy. And don't you try to deny it, you _know _you two are just as cheesy as us, maybe even more." She said, that raised eyebrow still firmly in its place.

"Fine. Maybe we are just a bit cheesy too." Haley grumbled, but soon gave in to laughter as Brooke did so too. "How are you holding up? Must be tiring, sitting here all day, watching the others work." She asked, still laughing a bit.

"Funny, Hales. You know I would be helping if only Julian would let me."

"I know, I know. But it's kinda nice to just sit here, no?"

"Yes, it actually is." Brooke agreed. "And it's totally fun to see Peyton and Lucas trying not to act awkward around each other." She finished with a grin, causing Haley to laugh again.

"Yeah, I noticed. I wonder how long this is gonna take, you know. They can't act like this forever." Haley said, sighing softly.

"They just need to really talk about it, I guess, even if their talk turns out to be a fight. They just need a new start. But they'll get there, I know so."

"I hope so. I hate to see them like this." She answered with a small smile as she looked at Brooke.

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

><p>"This seems to be the last one." Lucas said, startling Peyton a bit as he walked inside with the last one of her moving boxes. She turned around to face him, but seemed to be frozen in place when she noticed just which box he was carrying.<p>

"Oh, um… Yeah, thanks. Just put it with the rest." She said and stumbled maybe a bit over her words. He gave her kind of a weird look, no doubt because he had noticed her quite strange behavior. She tried to brush it away with a somehow nervous smile and made her way to the kitchen as Lucas started walking to put away the last box.

When he walked into the kitchen as well, Peyton had her back to him, fumbling with one thing or another in one of the drawers. Nathan and Haley had already left, as well as Brooke and Julian, after a long day of carrying boxes inside and putting furniture together.

"It's getting late, I better get going." He said, making her turn around.

"I was just going to order some food, actually." Peyton answered and waved a bit with the menu she had been searching for in that drawer. "You could stay if you want." She offered with a small smile and a shrug of her shoulders as if it didn't mean much at all. She couldn't deny, however, how it actually was a pretty big deal. With all the awkwardness surrounding them lately, it certainly was a nice step forward to just have dinner together.

"Yeah, sure." He agreed at last and moved a bit closer, looking at the menu himself. She gave it to him and stepped back, her tense posture not going unnoticed by Lucas. "Peyton, you okay?" He asked rather worriedly. He really wanted to spend some time with her, yet seeing her so uncomfortable got him into thinking that maybe staying wasn't that great of an idea.

"I'm fine." Peyton simply nodded, turning away from him. However, she could still feel his look lingering on her as if he just knew something was off. Then again, it probably wasn't hard to notice how her demeanour had changed when he had reentered her house with that last box.

"It's… It's the box." She all but sighed after some good moments of silence between the two of them. "It's the reason I came home. Part of. Indirectly." She admitted and made him wish he knew what was in the box. "It doesn't matter now though. Let's just order something."

"You know you can talk to me though, alright? If you want to." Lucas told her as he handed her the phone, making her looking up at him. She only nodded again before taking the phone in her hand.

He took a seat at one of her kitchen chairs, waiting for her to return and still thinking about that box. It had to be one special box to get someone to move away from the town you lived in for years. He knew, however, how that simply wasn't any of his business now. They were hardly friends, having cut their selves out of each other's lives years ago, and he knew he had no right expecting her to instantly tell him about it. Yet, it seemed to be exactly what he wanted. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but just wanting to know what had happened before she decided to move back.

"He called one day. Jake, I mean." Peyton started when she walked back into the kitchen, taking Lucas completely aback. He noticed how her voice was soft and quiet, but strong too, as if she somehow was trying to make a point. "We hadn't talked in a while, we barely talked actually. You know, only the necessary. We didn't see each other either. I would just pick up or drop off Jenny and I know he was always inside watching her leaving or waiting for her to return, but he would never come out himself, you know? Anyway, one day he actually called. Told me there was still some of my stuff at his place. When I went to pick it up, it turned out to be this box." She nodded at the box that wasn't even visible from their spot. "Jenny had found it in the attic, they wondered if I still wanted it."

"Did you?" Lucas asked, subtly trying getting to know what was in it, not that he was naïve enough to think Peyton didn't see it through.

"Why don't you just ask what was –is– in it?" She said indeed, letting out a soft chuckle that let him know she didn't really mind him being curious. "It's about… us, I guess. Although it's not only that. It's about high school, photos, CD's, things like that. You know, like the yearbook you sent me after senior year. Or, some letters from you from when you know, we, whatever was going on with us back then. I didn't even know I still had it. I mean, I know I took it with me when I left Tree Hill, but honestly? There was a reason why it was in the attic, you know? I don't want to sound, I don't know, rude or something, but it _was _high school. It were just… memories. I wasn't living in the past, I was really focused on my future, with Jake. Well, not _then _but the years prior, you know, before it all went down." Peyton sighed, toying a bit with the rings on her hand.

She had actually, for some reason she didn't quite get, wanted to tell him that, yet really doing so got her slightly uncomfortable. In their few short conversations the last few weeks they had nicely done their best to avoid the Jake subject, or the Lindsey one for that same matter, and bringing it up now, she knew again why exactly they had done so. It wasn't the nicest of subjects to discuss with him, that uncomfortable feeling she felt making it more than clear.

That didn't mean she wanted to stop talking, though. She might not have really liked telling him, somehow she simply felt the need to do so anyway.

"However, Jake didn't much like the box." She continued and shook her head a bit. "I know we were already divorced by the time he found it, but I think it still did hurt him though. We kind of got into a fight when I came to pick it up, he accused me of letting our marriage fail, telling me I'd never been able to let you go and you know, that I was the reason of our divorce. And I _know _that, I _can't _deny that I play a great deal in it and that you're somehow a part of it too, but that stupid box… The box had nothing to do with it."

"I left his place knowing I wouldn't be back, not for him anyway. It was then that I decided to move back here. I wouldn't have been able to make something of myself in Savannah, I really don't think I would've been able to rebuild my life _there_, you know? So here I am, all because of a stupid box, seemingly that was the push I needed to come back." Peyton finished and let a small, still somehow sad, smile trail around her lips. She sat herself next to him on one of the chairs, briefly locking eyes with him before looking away.

She actually had no idea what he was thinking and it almost killed her that he just didn't speak already. Lucas on the other hand simply didn't quite know what to say. He had wanted her to open up to him, wanted to know just why she had decided to come home again, yet ever since they had both been home he had thought she wouldn't share it with him.

He was surprised. Surprised that a box with some high school stuff had caused such a fight with Jake that it made her rethink and rebuild her whole life and surprised that she even had a box with all that in.

You don't easily forget your high school, he knew that. Chances were high you fell in love for the first time right there, friends and memories were made there, _you _were in some ways made there too, but in the end it _is_ just high school.

It's a stage in your life you pass. Only four years in a whole lifetime. After that, they say, real life begins.

And her real life had begun in Savannah. He hadn't thought those high school memories had played such a big role in her decisions considering that real life. However, being honest he knew high school was maybe never that far away.

"We all need a push sometimes." Lucas said at last, shrugging his shoulder a little bit and showing her a crooked smile. "Are you happy you came back?"

"Yeah, I am. I guess it was a good decision." She softly nodded, smilingly.

"It certainly was." He agreed and caught her smiling just a little bit wider. It soon faded though and he could tell by her expression she had let her mind travel back to the past. "Peyton?"

She had heard him calling out her name, yet she stayed quiet just a little while longer. She couldn't help but think about what she had said just mere minutes ago, how she had talked about her divorce and about how Lucas had been a part of that. It suddenly dawned on her that they had actually never really talked about it.

It was in the past and she had always thought it was best to just let it there. Maybe it was, but somehow she had the feeling that maybe it was needed for her, maybe even for both of them, to talk about it. To simply get it all out in the air so she could finally leave it to rest and move on.

Move on from that one thing, one person, that always seemed to resurface.

"I can't blame Jake though. He was right. It _is_ my fault." Peyton stated after a while of silence between them, deciding that there was never going to be a right moment to bring it up. She could as well start about it now.

"What?" Lucas asked, stupidly blinking a couple times.

"It's my fault." She repeated a bit more quietly than before. "I was the one agreeing to dinner back then, I was –"

"_I_ askedyou to dinner." He pointed out, interrupting her. "It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is." Peyton insisted and shook her head softly. "God Lucas, if it wasn't for _me _coming to New York or for _me _agreeing to having dinner with you, or for _me _saying all those things, our marriages wouldn't have been ruined. None of us would have been hurt. It's _my _fault."

"Stop it." He said strongly, looking her straight in the eye. "Stop it, Peyton. It's not your fault." He repeated what he had said before. "We _both _were there, we _both _knew what we were doing, we're _both _responsible."

"Still, –"

"No." Lucas interrupted her once again. He shook his head a few times, trying to gather his thoughts and figure out what to say.

It was true he might have blamed her once for what had happened. He blamed her for coming to New York and getting into his head again, making him doubt what he had with Lindsey, although he knew that had never ever been her intention. Still, his marriage had failed and it was a whole lot easier to blame someone else for it rather than blaming himself. However, it didn't take him long to realize how that wasn't exactly true. How that for whatever they had done two people were needed and that in the end it had only been his own fault that he hadn't been as loyal to Lindsey as he should have.

It was her fault, but it was his too.

They _were _to blame for the hurt that had been done to Jake and Lindsey, but it hadn't been _only _Peyton. It had been the both of them. He knew she already knew that too, even though she was saying otherwise.

"Peyton, please, you _know _you're not the only one to blame. I'll never be one to deny that what we did was wrong, but you can't take all the blame. That isn't fair, you know."

"What? Should I share? Do you want a part of the blame too?" She asked sarcastically, even rolling her eyes a bit.

"Well, yes." Lucas said with a nod of his head. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you beating yourself up about something we're _both _responsible for. It's… You shouldn't do that, Peyton."

"You know I wanted to see you? When I came to New York, I wanted to see you. It had been a couple weeks after Brooke's wedding and I had been thinking about you and… I wanted my friend back, you know?" She suddenly said, a little hint of desperation and weariness clear in her voice.

"What do you mean? You're saying that you shouldn't have wanted your friend back? That that was wrong of you?" He asked slightly puzzled. He honestly didn't really know where her train of thought was leading her.

"Yes!" Peyton nearly shouted and even threw her hands up a little in the air. "Look to where me wanting my friend back has led us. We both know we didn't really become friends there, did we? I guess we just can't be friends…"

"What? Of course we can." He disagreed, shaking his head quite strongly as if he was emphasizing what he was saying.

"This is always going to be between us, you know? It doesn't look like we'll be able to just leave it behind us."

"We could if we try."

"Could we?" She exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. "I brought it up like, what, two minutes ago? We're already fighting about it. It is always going to be like this."

"We're not fighting, we're discussing. And the only reason we are is because you are blaming yourself and I'm not letting you do that!" Lucas refuted, getting maybe a bit frustrated as well.

"No, we are fighting because it just will always stand between us. We can't go back from this, Lucas."

"We could move on." He offered and locked eyes with her for a split second before she looked down.

"I don't think we can." She said it quietly, yet in quite a sure way too. It had been so softly Lucas had almost missed it, but he hadn't. Of course he hadn't.

"Peyton, …" He started, but simply didn't know what to say. She seemed so determined, so sure of what she was saying. And so completely different from how she had been just a couple moments ago. He knew her well enough to know there was no point in talking to her some more now. "Fine. If you don't think we can, then I'll go."

"Lucas, I…" Peyton tried, but he was out of the door before she could say more.

Only a few moments later her doorbell rang and when she went to open it, she was met with the delivery guy of their take-out meal. Bringing the food inside, she could only try her best to fight back her tears, knowing she probably wasn't going to succeed.

She hadn't planned to pick a fight, she hadn't wanted to, yet it seemed like she simply couldn't help herself.

She didn't even know if she honestly believed herself that they would never be able to be friends again, if this would always stand between them and things would always be that awkward, but it didn't really matter anymore right then.

Lucas had gone home anyway and she was alone in her house with food for two.

Quite the dinner gone wrong.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>... What do you guys think?

I know it sucks how awkward their relationship is right now, but it gets better, I promise! I also know that it might be kinda frustrating that I still haven't revealed that much about New York, _but _to make you all happy, next chapter is a flashback! I really hope I don't disappoint, lol.

Anyways, reviews are love, but I guess you already knew that by now, so please let me know your thoughts! (:

Hope you all had a great weekend!


	7. Hello, Goodbye

**AN: **Here I am again with an update! Sorry it took me -once again- so long to do so, I just had _so _much trouble with this one. It honestly was the hardest chapter to write! I'm still not quite sure about it, but after working on it for like, six weeks, I thought I'd just give it a shot and let _you _tell me what you think of it ;)

I know this is a long-awaited flashback and I really hope I don't disappoint you guys! And just to be clear, _of course _I don't support what they did! I had the idea and I needed to write it, but I somehow think that the fact that I absolutely hate what they did brought me so much trouble to write this chapter. Still, I can't really hate on Peyton&Lucas so I wanted that to be clear in the chapter too, they aren't some insensitive monsters or something, lol.

Anyways, italics are flashbacks, normal lettering are flashbacks in a flashback, if that makes sense. I hope it becomes clear in the chapter :) _Enjoy! _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7. Hello, Goodbye<strong>

"_We got carried away. It didn't mean anything."_

_He had heard those words before. He knew she didn't mean it the first time she had spoken them. He had actually wished for those words not to be true the first time. His seventeen year old mind just couldn't handle the thought of having been that close to that girl without it meaning anything to her._

_However, now he only wished for those words to actually be _true_. Because as complicated as it had been back then, it was a thousand times more complicated right now._

"_It didn't?"_

"_It didn't." She answered his question and made her way out of the room and into the bathroom, not wanting him to see in her eyes what he probably already knew._

_Of course it did. Everything that had ever happened between the two of them had meant something, this wasn't any different._

_Yet, she _needed_ it not to mean anything. For her, for him and maybe most of all for Jake. And Lindsey. _

"Peyton?" His surprised voice sounded right behind her. He had just left his place to get a coffee and really hadn't expected to see her on the sidewalk of that gallery he walked by every morning.

"Lucas, hi!" She said, a little surprised as well and gave him a quick, maybe awkward, hug after turning around. She had wanted to see him while she was in New York, yet it felt kind of weird now he actually stood in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here, you know." He answered and they both had to let out a soft chuckle. "What are _you _doing here?"

"I'm here for work. Art exhibition." She explained and showed him the pamphlet she was still holding in her hand.

"Sounds interesting." Lucas said, nodding a bit. "How are you?" He asked while giving her the pamphlet back.

"Great." She answered, showing him one of those smiles he had always loved about her. "Kind of overwhelmed by the city as well. How do you manage to live here?" She asked and made them both let out a quiet laugh.

"You get used to it." He said with a smile, shrugging one shoulder. "When do you need to get back?"

"My flight's tomorrow. Gives me enough time to explore that exhibition today."

"Well, you still got some time before you have to go? We can get a coffee or something." He proposed with a smile she couldn't say no to. She simply nodded and followed him into the New York streets.

"_I should get going." She spoke softly when she came out of the bathroom._

"_Why?"_

"_I have a flight to catch." She answered, avoiding his eyes._

_He couldn't help but close his eyes briefly and letting out a sigh he knew she wouldn't appreciate all that much. "Peyton." He said at last, hoping it would stop her in her steps on her way to the door._

"_We can't do this, Lucas."_

"_I know. We can't just leave like this either though. There's no point in taking the easy way out." _

_She let her eyes travel all over the room, just so she wouldn't have to look into his. _Leave it like this? Easy way out? _As if there was an easy way out._ _"What do you want me to say? What do you want me to do? I, we, can't_ _change this, I _know_ that, but we don't have to let it mean more than it does."_

"Can you believe this is only the second time we see each other since you moved to Savannah?" He asked when they both got their second coffee.

"Crazy, right? Feels like yesterday sometimes. High school, I mean."

"Feels like another lifetime sometimes." He replied, locking eyes with her.

Being honest, she had to say it felt like that for her as well from time to time. It was only four years ago, yet, sometimes it felt like it had been _a lot _more than just those four years.

She loved her life, she really did. She had a great husband, a wonderful stepdaughter and a job she more than loved. Still, she couldn't help but feel like something was missing sometimes. She liked to blame that feeling on the fact she didn't saw her friends as much as she wished, but honestly, she knew all too well it might have been something else.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." She said at last before silence settled between them.

"We grew apart. I didn't think it would happen, you know. When you moved away." He stated after a while and surprised her maybe just a tad with his statement.

"We both have our lives, Lucas. Isn't it normal?"

"So do Nathan and Haley, or Brooke. You still see them often, right?"

"You sound jealous." She said jokingly, trying to relieve the tension that was quickly formed between the two of them.

"Maybe I am." He answered, chuckling softly. "Still, we used to be good friends, Peyton."

"I know." Peyton nodded slightly. "But I have to go now. I'm here for work after all." She said with a quiet sigh in her voice.

She really had hoped to spend just a bit more time with him. It was true, they had grown apart and though she had always known so, when she saw him again just a couple weeks ago at Brooke and Julian's wedding, it hit her quite hard to realize they knew nothing anymore about the other's life.

"What about dinner tonight? Lindsey's in LA, we'd both be on our own anyway." Lucas then asked, but didn't miss that doubting look on her face. "We can catch up, you know. We didn't have much time to do so the last time we saw each other."

"Sure." She said at last and gave him a smile before getting up from her place. "See you later then."

"_It didn't mean anything, right? You sure?" He asked after her latest statement._

"_What's that supposed to mean, Lucas? I'm married. It can't mean anything, you know that."_

"_The fact that it can't doesn't mean that it doesn't!"_

"_I'm married. You will be too in a couple weeks. We shouldn't make a big deal out of this, it was just…" She sighed desperately, closing her eyes tightly._

"_What?"_

"_It was a mistake." She spoke quietly and started to make her way to the door again._

"_Peyton!" He called out once again. God, why couldn't he just let her go? It was a mistake, she shouldn't have been there, why couldn't he just let her walk away now? She _needed _to walk away, right now._

_She stopped at the door and turned towards him, again avoiding his eyes. They might have lost each other in the course of the last few years, she knew he still knew her. She knew he would be able to tell everything that was going on inside her mind just by one look into her eyes. And she really didn't need him to see just how much it hurt her to walk away in that moment._

"_Are you going to tell him?"_

"_Are you going to tell her?" She fired back his question instead of answering it. _

_They both stayed quiet for just a while after that before Peyton opened the door and stepped out of the room._

"_I should get going. I'm sorry." She said at last before closing the door behind her._

"This is a bad idea." She stated when they climbed the stairs up to the roof.

"What?" He asked, laughing just a bit at how hesitating she seemed.

Peyton shot him a confused look. Really, he didn't see how this was a bad idea? "We shouldn't be climbing the stairs up to a roof in the middle of the night. I mean, whose roof is this anyway? Did we just break into a building just to see this amazing view over the city? Couldn't we do that from somewhere on a bridge or something?" She explained, rambling maybe a little and causing Lucas to fully laugh now. "What?"

He stopped laughing and gave her a reassuring smile instead. "It's my roof, Peyton. You don't have to worry about breaking in. It's all okay."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" She exclaimed rather loudly, forgetting about the other people in the building for a second.

"I did! Your tipsy state of mind just didn't register it."

She stopped abruptly, making him turn around to face her again. "Hey, I'm not drunk!"

"Didn't say you were." Lucas said, holding his hands up in defense and just not being able to hold in his laughter for too long at the sight of her indignant face. "Come on, it's here." He opened the door and led her onto the roof that gave indeed an amazing view over the city.

She might have been a little tipsy, standing on that roof in the fresh air and seeing that impressive view got her sober in just a second.

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know." He agreed as he stood next to her. "Amazing, huh?"

She nodded and he had to let out a soft chuckle at that awestruck expression on her face. "Unbelievable you live here. You come here often?" Peyton asked as she took a seat on one of the benches on the roof.

Walking closer, he sat himself next to her and stared into the New York night. "Yeah, I come here to write sometimes, you know. The view is kind of inspiring."

"That I can see." She nodded again as she got back up and turned around once more to have a good look of the city. "How's that book of you coming, by the way? I always thought you'd be this great, celebrated author by now, you know."

Shaking his head a bit, he sighed deeply. "I'm working on it. I've been working on it for quite a while now actually, it just misses something, I guess."

"What'd that be?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, looking out over the roof. He had been working on his novel for so long now, but he just didn't seem to get it right. He had finished it once. And then he had rewritten it and finished it again. And then he rewrote it again, until he knew he had given it his best writing. Still, it wasn't what he wanted it to be. It still wasn't what he knew it _could _be. "I don't know. A powerful love story maybe." He said at last and locked eyes with her.

It had been six years since they had first met each other.

It had been a little over four years since she had moved away from Tree Hill, away from their friendship that was always so much more than just a friendship.

Yet, standing on that roof with him, it didn't feel like four years ago. It didn't really feel like high school was over. It only felt like it was just them and they still simply understood each other the same way they had back then.

"Aren't you like, engaged? Doesn't that inspire?" She asked just because she needed to say something, anything. She really needed that crazy feeling in the pit of her stomach to disappear.

"Maybe. Doesn't seem like it does though." Lucas answered, never leaving her eyes as she stood still in the middle of the roof.

When she finally sat down on the bench again, silence settled, leaving them to simply sit there next to each other as they had done so many times years ago.

It actually amazed both of them how they could just sit in silence without it becoming awkward or uncomfortable. It didn't matter that it was only the second time they saw each other in four years. Nor did it matter that he had just kind of admitted, and maybe made Peyton a tad uncomfortable by saying so, that his engagement, his relationship, didn't inspire the way it maybe should be. It simply didn't matter.

"You know… When you're struggling with it, with your writing I mean, just know… Your art matters, Lucas." She said softly after a while, repeating words he had spoken to her so many years ago.

It was as if he had touched her soul that night, and he could feel it now too. Those four simple words seemed to do more to him than any encouraging speech Lindsey had ever given him. It shouldn't be like that, right?

She didn't know how everything happened after that. She had been thinking about it from the moment she woke up the next day, it had been on her mind ever since and she could never really figure it out.

She could never really figure out _why_.

One moment she simply sat beside him, telling him how his art mattered, the next one, when he leaned in and she felt his lips on hers, she couldn't bring herself to pull away from him.

It wasn't fair, to neither one of them, and they shouldn't have done it, yet she couldn't deny that in that moment it simply was what she wanted.

"_We got carried away. It didn't mean anything."_

_He kept hearing those words in his mind over and over again._

_They got carried away, indeed._

_He doubted that it hadn't meant anything though._

_He knew, however, how they both _wished _for it not to mean anything._

_Looking out over the room where he had spent the night with the girl, woman now, he had once given his heart to, he knew she was right though._

_They _couldn't_ do that. It was indeed a mistake and it should've never happened._

_And it wasn't fair._

_Not to her, not to him. Not to Lindsey or Jake._

_Once upon a time, he had promised himself to become a better man._

_He had 'made' her the other girl once and cheated on a girl he knew cared for him. And right then, the moment Peyton had walked away from him and he had realized just how much they had hurt Brooke and each other, he had promised himself to become better._

_A better person than the person he had been before._

_However, only six years later he found himself being that same person he was back then._

_Yes, he was older and yes, he knew more about life, but he had once again made her the 'other woman' and had once again cheated on someone he knew loved him._

_Someone he loved as well. Because he really did love Lindsey. He didn't doubt his love for Lindsey, neither did he doubt her love for him. However, that hadn't stopped him last night and it wasn't like he loved her now any different than he did yesterday._

_He _had _to become a better man. Not only for himself, but more so for all the people surrounding him._

_And so he would. He _would _be better._

_And even though he knew it might not have been exactly true, he _needed _Peyton's words to be the right ones._

_They simply got carried away._

_It didn't mean anything._

* * *

><p><em>Only a week later he found her sitting on the steps in front of his building.<em>

_When he took a seat next to her, she looked up to him and he was sure he had never seen her that broken before._

"_Another art exhibition. They insisted I came." She answered his unspoken question. "I know I shouldn't be here, I just… I don't know, I felt like I needed to come."_

"_It's okay." Lucas said before silence settled between them._

"_I can't face Jake, you know. I don't think I've ever spent so much time at the gallery." She started again after a long while. "I'm a terrible person." Peyton said then softly, causing Lucas to immediately shake his head._

"_You're not."_

"_I am." She insisted with a nod of her head. "I mean, look at me, Lucas, look at _us_. It isn't the first time, you know? What is it about us? Do we really always have to hurt other people?" She asked, sounding even more broken than she looked. "And it's not just Jake or Lindsey. It's Jenny too. And…"_

"_Did you tell Jake?" He asked a bit warily._

"_No." She answered and shook her head softly. "Maybe I should though. I don't know if I can keep this from him, if I even want to keep it."_

_She had been thinking about it all week. Should she tell him or should she just keep her mouth shut and forget that it had ever happened? _

_He trusted her. He had always trusted her, and she had never done anything to make him doubt that trust he had in her. Or so it was until a week ago._

_How could she now just move on, knowing that she had violated his trust so badly, even though he technically didn't know it? _

_She couldn't. She knew she simply couldn't go home again and live her life like she had been doing only seven days ago. She _had _to tell him. She had to be honest, even though it might not even matter that much anymore._

_On the other hand, telling Jake would somehow make it all the more real, and even though she knew_ _it _was_, she couldn't help wanting it to be just a little less real for just a little while longer._

_If it was only her and Lucas who knew, maybe they could just pretend none of it was real? That it was only a dream or something, not the ugly truth that _would _change her life._

_She knew, however, that that wasn't going to happen._

"_You want to come in?" Lucas asked, breaking the silence between them._

_Was he really asking her to come in after all that had happened? "Lucas, I don't think that's the best idea right now. Maybe I should just…"_

"_It's cold outside. You've been sitting here for God knows how long. Just come up, drink a cup of coffee and then go." He said and rubbed her arm lightly. A shiver run down her spine and she wasn't really sure whether that had something to do with the cold or with his touch._

_He got up and when he held out a hand for her, she couldn't help but taking it and following him inside._

"_Peyton, please talk to me." He said after another long silence. Both of them were sitting in Lucas' couch, nursing their cup of coffee. It had been minutes since they had spoken a word and though he knew she somehow needed that silence, he also knew he wouldn't be able to bear it much longer. He wanted her to talk, to fill the empty silence with words, even if those words would hurt._

"_What do you want me to say, Lucas? I shouldn't even be here."_

"_That's not true, you –"_

"_Of course it is true!" She exclaimed, making him recoil just a little. "I _cheated _on my husband with you, how do you even justice the fact that I am here now?" Her voice cracked and she stubbornly wiped away a few of her tears. _

_She didn't want to cry. She hadn't come to cry. She didn't know why she was there, but it certainly wasn't to cry. _

_It wasn't that simple though._

_Saying that you don't want to cry, doesn't exactly mean you won't. Before she knew it, hot wet tears were falling onto her cheeks and there was not all that much she could do to stop them. Another moment later, Lucas had taken her in his arms, slightly rocking her back and forward, knowing she simply _needed_ some comfort, even if it meant he was the one giving her._

"_God, Luke, how did everything become like this? How got everything _so_ messed up?" She cried into his chest, seeking for some sort of comfort and hoping he would offer her all the right words, although she _knew _there simply were no words to make everything all okay again._

"_I don't know." He told her honestly. A week ago his life had seemed quite simple. He was engaged, had great friends and a good job. Now, he didn't think it could get more complicated. "Things will be okay again though, you've got to believe that." He tried to soothe her, but didn't really know if he believed his words himself. She looked up at him, the tears in her eyes still shining brightly and he could only nod reassuringly._

_He wanted things to be okay again _so_ badly, for him, but most of all for her. The fact that they had met again had brought them both trouble, but that didn't change the fact he still cared for her. Cared quite deeply actually. She had always been important to him, he had always wanted her to be okay. Seeing her in so much pain right now, hurt him way more than being in pain himself._

"_Peyton, you _are_ going to be okay, you got that?" Lucas spoke again when she didn't say something herself. She looked up again and briefly locked eyes with him before she softly shook her head._

"_I'm a terrible person." She finally said, repeating words she had already said before. "He's going to hate me."_

"_He won't." He disagreed and now it was him who shook his head. "Are you sure you want to tell him though?" He didn't want to encourage her to keep a secret from her husband, yet he somehow thought that not telling him might not be such a bad idea either._

"_Have you seen me? How can I go home now and _not _tell him? He'll know something is up when he sees me like this. I'm a mess, Lucas."_

"_You've always been a mess." He stated with a smile, receiving a sad chuckle from Peyton while she wiped away yet another few tears._

_Silence settled again between them, Peyton still being in his arms, even though she knew that wasn't such a great idea. What was she thinking actually? Only a week ago, she cheated on her husband with this man, and now she was here again? She knew it was wrong, but she also knew that she _needed_ his comfort in that moment. She _needed_ to be there._

_A week ago, she had spoken words she had said years ago as well. _We got carried away. It didn't mean anything. _She couldn't help but think if it really didn't mean anything?_

_Why was she here? Why did she seek comfort _here_? Why wasn't she home in Savannah, where she belonged? _

_Maybe she simply needed to see him this one more time._

_One more time before she moved on and wouldn't look behind anymore._

_It didn't mean anything, she _had_ to believe that. It was simply the past catching up on her, on them. She could only move on now and make sure the past didn't have the chance anymore to do so._

_Wiping away the last of her tears, she looked up at Lucas once again. "I should get going." She said softly, trying her best to control her shaky voice._

_He only nodded. He didn't question things, knowing it probably was best for both of them if she left now. He had to hug her, though. He knew they wouldn't see each other any time soon, he simply knew they both would stay out of the other's life from now on. He also knew that was the right thing to do, but he couldn't let her leave without having her in his arms one last time._

_When they let go of each other, they locked eyes and Lucas couldn't think of a moment he had seen more hurt in her eyes than right then. "It's okay." He whispered, not really knowing why, but still feeling the need to do so anyways._

_Without much thinking she leaned in, and so did he. Here she was again, kissing a man that wasn't her husband. _

_If all of this hadn't meant anything, then why was she kissing Lucas again?_

_She loved Jake though, she _knew_ she did. And she knew he didn't deserve any of this._

_Realizing that they simply _couldn't_ do this, she broke their kiss and frantically started searching for her bag._

"_Peyton, I'm sorry, I know –"_

"_I have to go." She interrupted him, needing to get out of his place as soon as possible._

"_Peyt, I…" He tried again, but simply didn't find the words to tell her._

"_Goodbye, Lucas."_

_She was out of the door before he could say more, and he knew it would be long before he would see her again. _

_And those words of her still rang in his head. _

We got carried away. It didn't mean anything.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>What'd you think of this one? _**Please**_, let me know what you think of it! I really don't want to be a nag or something, but reviews kinda dropped for the previous chapter and it got me slightly worried... I really hope you guys still like it! &those reviews totally inspire me too, you know? ;)

Any thoughts on what's going to happen now by the way?

For those of you who are on summer break, I hope you're having a great time! Mine is going amazing (: &for those of you who _aren't_, well I still hope you're having a great time too!

&don't forget our nice little friend, the review-button! _Pretty please?_


	8. By Your Side

**AN: **Hey! Another update (: I've got the majority of this chapter ready for quite a bit, but then I got carried away with this _new_ thing I'm posting. It's a series of drabbles and I have to say I'm quite excited about it! I suggest you check it out some time, if you'd like to.

Now, first off, thank you to those of you reviewed/alerted/favorited this story! It means so, so, so much to me!

Onto the update. Well, I guess you can thank the _amazing_ Belgian weather for this chapter... *rolling my eyes* It's been raining here _so _much, there really isn't anything else I can do but writing these days... Oh well, guess you don't mind, right? Now, a few chapters ago, a lovely reviewer, _LukePeyTLA_, called Peyton and Lily "Pily" and I kinda forgot about it since Lily hasn't been in another chapter since then, but can I just say that I absolutely love that? Haha Just how cute does it sound? Pily.. Yeah, I really love it! Anyways, Lily's here again and I hope you guys don't mind because she'll be in quite some chapters from now on. For some reason, I totally love her! We've hardly seen her on the show, still I am so intrigued by her! So yeah, you'll see her definitely more often from now on.

Guess I should stop talking now though. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8. By Your Side<strong>

"I don't really get it, you know." Brooke stated quite seriously, a frown visible on her face.

It was one of those late summer nights when it wasn't too hot or too dark and you could sit on your back porch and feel absolutely content.

Placing the glass she was holding back on the table, Peyton shot her a confused look. "What?"

"Why you act like this around each other." She elaborated, locking eyes with her best friend. "When you stayed with me those few days after New York, it all sounded as if you guys were _okay_. I mean, yes, you cheated with each other and that was really, really wrong, but you went to see him after that again! That's got to mean something, right?"

"Brooke, I don't get what you're trying to say here." Peyton sighed, shaking her head a little.

After her fight with Lucas yesterday, she had been to his house this morning, but he hadn't been there. And although she had really wanted to talk to him about it, she was kind of relieved too when he hadn't been there. She didn't really know if she could face him again already and the fact that he hadn't been home had given her an excuse not to do so.

She went to Brooke's instead, needing to talk to someone about what had happened between her and Lucas the night before. She had told Brooke, they had talked about it for a while and then they had been busying themselves with nursery stuff and Lucas wasn't brought up again. Now, after dinner, it seemed like Brooke thought it was a great idea to mention the broody blonde again.

"You two were okay back then. You needed comfort and he gave you some. You were still comfortable around each other back then, even though there had already happened a lot between the two of you. Why are things _so _awkward right now?"

"I don't know." Peyton told her honestly. "I guess we just didn't know what would happen, you know? It had just happened, Jake and Lindsey didn't know and so I guess we didn't know either where it would lead us. Now, we are both divorced, my life has been a mess ever since and maybe that's why things are what they are now. If we would've known already what would happen after all that, I don't think it would've been the same."

"Makes sense." Brooke agreed but still had that pensive look on her face. Silence fell for a while, both women lost in their own thoughts. "Still, it's tiring, no? Wouldn't it be easier if you could just be friends?" She started again as she absentmindedly rubbed her stomach, something she did more and more lately.

"Of course it would. It just doesn't seem that easy, though."

* * *

><p>"You and Peyton." Nathan said, sighing maybe a little as he shook his head too. "I'm never gonna get it, you know."<p>

"What?" Lucas asked while shooting the ball through the hoop.

He had been at the River Court almost all day, he only went to the café to eat something, but after that he had gone straight back to it. He just really needed to clear his head after the evening he had had with Peyton. A little over an hour ago, Nathan had joined him and they had been playing ever since.

"You just keep hurting each other, whether you realize you do or not. It's always been that way." He told his brother as he caught the ball and shot it through the hoop as well. "Why did you ever mess with that girl anyway? You should've fought for her, you know?" Nathan said, breaking the silence that had settled between them after his previous words.

"What do you mean, Nate?" He asked puzzled, not getting what he was hinting at.

Passing him the ball, he elaborated. "When you first got to know each other. You know, when she broke off the whole thing because of Brooke. You should've fought for her then."

"Nathan, ..." Lucas started, shaking his head a bit. " We were teenagers, you know? That was, what, eight years ago? And I didn't _mess _with her, things were just... complicated back then. Besides, what does that even have to do with how things are right now?"

"What does that even have to do with it?" Nathan scoffed, repeating Lucas' words. "If the two of you had been honest about your feelings from the start, things wouldn't have gotten complicated and I'm pretty sure things wouldn't be complicated right now either."

"You can't know that. High school doesn't define everything in life."

"Maybe not everything, but still." He insisted, watching as Lucas aimed for the hoop but missed it. He loved his brother, but all this stuff with Peyton just seemed like pointless drama to him. "You know, she told me she'd like for you two to be friends again. What happened to that?" Nathan said when Lucas didn't answer but just kept on aiming for the hoop instead.

Turning around, he looked at his brother and heaved a sigh. "I don't know, Nate. It just doesn't seem that easy."

* * *

><p>"Peytie!" Lily squealed as she ran towards Peyton, followed by Karen and Andy.<p>

Smiling widely, Peyton picked up the little girl and swirled her around, resulting in a fit of giggles from Lily. "Hi Lilypad, how're you doing?" She asked as she put Lily on her hip and nodded at Karen and Andy with a smile.

"I'm good. Is this your new house?" Lily asked, pointing at the house they were standing in front of.

Peyton nodded before putting the girl back down. "It is. You wanna check out the garden?"

"Yes!" The girl exclaimed, already running of towards the garden. Laughingly, the three adults followed her into Peyton's brand new backyard.

"You're sure you're okay with this, right? We can always call Lucas or Haley." Karen offered.

"Of course I'm okay with this. You know I love her." Peyton smiled widely. "I'd love to spend some time with her." To be honest, she was pretty excited for today. When Karen had called her this morning, asking if she could look after Lily for the day and telling her that the girl had quite insisted on it, Peyton had actually felt pretty great to be 'picked' by Lily, as silly as that sounded.

"Good." Andy said while letting out a breath of relief. "I think she'd bite our heads of if we told her someone else would look after her today." He chuckled, thinking of the fierce six year old.

"She's a lovely girl though, furthermore." Karen replied, nudging Andy with her elbow but laughing too.

Laughing as well, Peyton shook her head a few times. "We'll have a great time, you don't have to worry."

"Okay." Both Karen and Andy nodded. "Call us if something goes wrong, okay?"

"I will. Now, if you don't want to be late, I guess you'd better be going." She smiled and watched as Karen and Andy said goodbye to Lily.

Peyton felt a slight pull on her heartstrings as she saw Karen interact with Lily. She couldn't help but think of Jenny. Her life was moving forward now and she really loved it, but she couldn't shut up that voice in her head that kept telling her something was missing. She also just didn't _want _to shut it up. No matter how badly things had been between her and Jake, she had always wanted Jenny to be a part of her life and had also always promised Jenny she would. Now, she could only feel awful for not keeping that promise. Sure, they'd called a couple of times, but in all honesty, Peyton just wanted to _see_ her again. It had been weeks, almost months even, and all she wanted was just see that girl again and knowing that she was fine and didn't blame her for leaving. She knew she would though, sometime soon, when she was fully settled down, she'd make sure she'd see Jenny again.

She was pulled out of her reverie when Lily called out for her from at the swings in Peyton's backyard. "Peytie! You have swings in here, that's the coolest thing _ever_." Lily giggled and Peyton couldn't help but laugh too as she made her way towards the swings.

"Yeah, you love it?" She asked smiling and took a seat on the other swing.

"Hmm." Lily nodded while trying her best to get the swing going. "What are we gonna do today?" She asked then sweetly, looking up at Peyton. "Momma said we'd make cookies yesterday, but she forgot. Can we make them now?"

"Oh, sweetie, I'd love to, but I don't think I have all the ingredients here to make some. I didn't do much groceries yet. Why don't we do that some other time?" Peyton said, smiling apologetically at the girl.

Jumping off the swing when it was on his highest –and almost giving Peyton a heart attack by doing so–, Lily smiled brightly before nodding. "Okay, let's do something else. Can you give me a tour in your new house?"

"Sure, come on." She smiled again and headed off towards the house with Lily.

After Peyton had given Lily a tour of the house, which really only took like, ten minutes and it hadn't even been that much if Lily hadn't been so insistent on knowing every single thing and place in the house, they ended up in Peyton's art room.

From the moment Peyton had first visited the house she had loved that particular room. It was probably the biggest one in the house, with a giant window looking out over the backyard and in the distance the river visible too. There had been no doubt that room would become her 'art room'.

"This is a cool room." Lily said as they walked inside. "It's big!" She giggled, her eyes popping a bit. "Can I look at these?" She asked then with a sweet smile and pointed at a few paintings that were hidden behind some sheets.

"Of course you can." Peyton walked closer and helped Lily with the paintings. A big canvas was revealed and Peyton could only smile at Lily's face.

"It's the River court!" She exclaimed. "It's beautiful, Peytie!"

"You think so?"

Lily eagerly nodded and showed Peyton one of her biggest smiles. "I think Lukey would love it. He loves the River court." She explained matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, he does." Peyton smiled as well, thinking of how every single time Lucas stepped onto the River court you could see just how much he loved it there.

"Do you love it too?"

"I do, it's a great place."

"I know. It's one of my favourite places. Lukey takes me there a lot." The little girl said before shifting her attention back to the other paintings. After a while, she tilted her head a little and looked rather thoughtfully at Peyton. "Peytie?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you and Lukey a couple?" She asked then, surprising the blonde quite a bit.

Shaking her head a little, Peyton smiled. "Lily, honey, you know we're not. Your brother and I are just... friends." She said although she wasn't sure at all if they were in fact friends.

Lily shrugged her shoulders and looked up at Peyton with that innocent look in her eyes. "I think you should be. You both love the River court and you can have each other then, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"Momma has Andy, they're a couple. And Natey and Haley-boo. Brookie has Julian too. But you and Lukey got no one so you can have each other." She explained as if it made all the sense in the world. Peyton chuckled lightly at the little girl's logic _and _use of nicknames. Karen really hadn't been lying when she had said Lily really did love them. "He used to have Lindsey, but I didn't really like her much. I never saw Lukey anymore." Lily babbled on.

"It doesn't really happen like that, Lilypad. You don't just become a couple because there is no one else around." Peyton smiled gently.

"Still, I think you would be good together." She answered and shrugged her shoulders again. "What are we going to do now?" She asked and got Peyton laughing slightly at the sudden change of subject. Keeping Lily Scott busy was certainly not the easiest thing.

"What do you think of decorating this wall?" Peyton asked, pointing to the wall opposite of them. "It can't stay such a boring white forever, right?"

"Yeah, let's do that!" Lily exclaimed excitedly, already getting up from her spot.

Getting up as well, Peyton shot a last look at her painting of the River court and couldn't help but smile. Yeah, she sure loved it there too.

* * *

><p>There was something about the River court at night.<p>

Somehow she seemed to love it more than in the day. It brought her some sort of peace the daylight didn't.

Ever since she had first set foot onto that court, she had loved it. Ever since that first day it had had a special place in her heart.

Looking out over the court, she could vaguely distinguish the names of her friends, painted there after they had all graduated Tree Hill High School.

It had been quite some years now, but she couldn't help but still feel just this little bit bad that she hadn't been there to paint her name on the concrete too.

She knew, however, that there was no point in focusing in the past.

Things were different now. She was back now and she wouldn't miss things anymore. And there was no reason to still hold onto the past, when there was this whole future lying in front of her.

She had just moved into her new house, a house she already loved very much, and in just a few weeks her gallery would open as well. She couldn't wish for much more.

However, there was still that one thing that bothered her, _a lot_.

It had been three days since her fight with Lucas. A fight she wished had never happened, although she also thought that at one point they simply _had _to have that fight somehow.

She had been to his house the day after, but he hadn't been there. After that, there had been no time to go see him again.

She could've know she should have just come to the River court. Only five minutes after she had arrived there, Lucas was there as well.

"Peyton." He sounded surprised, but happy too somehow. He smiled briefly before his face fell slightly, not quite sure how to act around her.

"Lucas, hi." She said quietly, softly smiling back at him. "I'm happy to see you here. I've actually been wanting to talk to you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Peyton repeated, nodding and paused shortly. "I'm sorry, Lucas. For the other day. I shouldn't have blown out like that. I don't know why I did so anyway, I just..."

"You were just upset, I guess." He filled in when she trailed off.

He saw her nodding softly before she looked away. "I was hurt. This whole thing got me pretty messed up." She admitted though she knew that probably wasn't any news for him.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Lucas said, sending her a small smile. He did indeed know what she meant, she wasn't the only one who got pretty messed up. "You know, a week before my wedding I drove down all the way to Savannah."

"What?" Peyton asked in disbelief, letting out something resembling a surprised chuckle.

"I came to Savannah. I wanted to see you." He told her, shrugging one of his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal although both of them knew it wasn't nothing at all. "It's nothing, I shouldn't –"

"Luke, if we want this to work, if we want to be friends again, which I _do _think we can by the way, and move on from this, we have to be honest with each other, no?" She said, interrupting what he was about to say.

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed softly before taking a seat at the bleachers. "When you left New York and went back to Jake, I just... I couldn't get you out of my head anymore. You're not an easy girl to get over, Peyton. I know what happened in New York wasn't supposed to mean anything, but you know..."

"I know." Peyton said almost too quietly, locking eyes with him right before she sat down too.

"I thought if I could just see it for myself, you know, if I could see that you were better off in Savannah with Jake and I was better off in New York with Lindsey, if I could just _see _that, then I would know we did the right thing by letting each other go."

"We never had each other in the first place." She interrupted him again.

"Peyt, I know, but could you maybe, just, let me finish?" Lucas asked with a chuckle.

She laughed softly and gave him a nod. "Sorry."

"Anyway, I saw you in a park or something. You and Jake were walking, Jenny in between the two of you. And you looked _happy_. You know, with that kind of smile you don't wear all that often? I didn't want to mess that up. I just wanted you to be happy, Peyton."

"Luke, I…"

"I still want that. I still just want you to be happy. And if you think that being in each other's lives will always prevent us from moving on from this and be _really _happy again, then that's okay. If you think we can't be friends anymore, that's okay. I just want to see that smile again, you know?"

Shaking her head, Peyton got up from her place and walked towards the middle of the court, for some reason standing still on Lucas' name on the concrete. "I was with Jenny. I was always happy when I was with Jenny." She said softly, but still loud enough for him to hear from his place. "I remember that day, you know. It was Jenny's birthday and Jake and I had agreed not to fight that day. We would give Jenny the best birthday she could imagine. She could always make me smile, make me happy. If you would've seen me that night, you'd known I wasn't happy at all." She finished with a somehow sad smile as she locked eyes with Lucas.

"I'm sorry, Peyton." He said maybe needlessly, knowing she would probably dismiss his apology anyway, but still feeling like he should say so.

"You don't need to be, but I'm sorry, too." She answered, smiling softly. "I bet life hasn't been easy on you either."

"It hasn't." Lucas shook his head softly with a smile of his own.

Silence fell for a while until Peyton sat down on the ground and Lucas simply had to chuckle at that. "Why are you sitting on the ground? There's place to sit right here." He said, patting the place next to him on the bleachers.

"I know, I kinda like it here though." She shrugged her shoulders and let out that soft kind of laugh Lucas had really missed about her.

He took a seat next to her and only made her laugh more until they both had to laugh at the fact they were sitting on the ground in the middle of the court.

"I feel like a little kid again. I used to sit her, like all the time."

"Yeah, it feels rather nice, right?" Peyton said and they both had to smile again.

"It does." He agreed.

And it really did. It was the first time in weeks that Peyton actually felt that they were on their way back. There simply was no awkwardness, no nervousness.

"You know, I spent the day with Lily today. She really is something else." She spoke up again after a few moments of them just sitting there.

"I know, she's one of a kind. How come she was with you today?"

"Your mom and Andy had to get out of town and apparently Lily 'picked' me to look after her." Peyton explained with a chuckle.

"Well, that's a great ego-boost." He said, feigning hurt and receiving a nudge from Peyton. "She'd rather spend time with you than with me, her big brother!"

"_Yeah,_ I'm awesome. Didn't you know?" She joked, making them both laugh.

"So I have heard, yes." Lucas told her when they sobered up. "What did you girls do all day then?"

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she sighed playfully. "You know, the usual. We did each other's hair and our nails. Put on some make-up too. And then we played a little fashion show."

"Doesn't really sound like Lily, but it totally _does_ sound like you."

As she hit his arm and they both had to laugh again, she couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since she laughed this much. She also couldn't deny how great it felt to do so again.

"We actually decorated my art room. The girl definitely knows how to draw, you knew that?"

"Yeah, she loves it. My mom has been asking her if she wants to go on a class or something, but she prefers to do it 'on her own'. Her own words." Lucas said with a smile as he thought about his little sister.

"Sounds like her." Peyton chuckled. "She also told me could have each other."

"We could what?"

"She told me how Karen has Andy and Nathan and Haley also have each other. And Brooke and Julian. But you and I, well we both got no one, so she figured we could just have each other instead." She explained, looking up to meet his eyes.

Smiling, Lucas nodded. "Does sound kinda logical." He said. "So, Peyton Sawyer, would you like to be my stand-in wife?" He asked then mischievously, receiving yet another hit on the arm from Peyton.

"_Not_ funny."

"A little, though."

"Not even a little."

"Fine, sorry." He apologized with a crooked smile as he saw her smiling too. "This is nice." He stated after some good moments of silence, knowing she would know what he was referring to.

He had thought that being friends would have been too difficult. After their fight he had made himself believe that it was simply not possible for them to be friends, but sitting here proved him otherwise.

Maybe that confrontation had just been necessarily for them to finally move and not let the past stand between them anymore. He liked to think that was exactly where it had led them. He hoped they were now both in a place where they could finally see the other as a friend again and be in each other's life without feeling awkward or unwanted. He knew he was in that place already and something told him she was so as well.

"It really is, isn't it?" Peyton agreed as she locked eyes with him and smiled softly. "I really do think we can be friends, Luke. I know I said we couldn't before, but I don't think that's true."

"Good, me too." He said, smiling as well. "I really am sorry, though. I just want you to know that. If I could, I'd do anything to take away all the pain we caused each other and others, too. I'm just really sorry, I guess." Lucas shrugged his shoulders slightly and got up from the ground, offering her his hand to get up as well.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too." They shared yet another smile as they stood in front of each other now. "Let's just be friends, you know? What happened, has happened. I think we both know that we were both to blame and that we were both wrong back then, but I guess it's time to leave it behind us now. Let's just be friends and take it from there, okay?"

Nodding, Lucas chuckled softly. "I'm glad to hear you're finally sharing some of the blame." He said, making her roll her eyes just a little. "But you're right, I guess it really is time to let it go, right? We can't change what's happened anyway and maybe now it's just time to prove ourselves life hasn't turned out all that badly either in the end." He said then and unknowingly voiced the thought she had been having ever since she had left Jake's house the last time. "Besides, I kinda like you as my friend, Peyton Sawyer."

"I kinda like you too, Lucas Scott." Peyton replied, wearing that same small grin as him. "Friends?" She asked then, holding out her hand for him to shake.

"Friends." He agreed and took her hand while pulling her into a hug as well. As he held his arms around her he couldn't help but think of just how great it felt to simply call her his friend again, knowing it really was true. He hugged her a little tighter, whispering, "I really missed you, Peyton."

Only five simply words. Five simply words that got her into thinking that maybe Lily was right after all.

Maybe they _could _have each other. And she knew without doubt that there was nothing better than having a great friend by your side.

Letting herself smile widely, she whispered back,

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Eeek, they're friends now? I know that maybe not everything is cleared out in this chapter, but you know, friends talk too, right? It's not like this subject is closed forever now and they won't ever talk about it anymore, it's just that it won't stand between them anymore, you know?

Hope you liked it and please, let me know what you think. (:


	9. Do You Know Where Your Heart Is?

**AN: **Hi! I am so, _so _sorry for the wait! I really tried to update sooner, but I just couldn't get myself to write this chapter sometimes. Anyway, it's done now and I really hope you like it (:

Also, thanks so much for your reviews/alerts/favorites, I really do appreciate that a lot! Oh, and to _cayt326_; thank you so much for your review! I usually answer to every review personally, but since you don't have an account I couldn't send you a PM. I still appreciate your reviews a lot, and I'm really happy you liked the previous chapter. I hope you like this one as well and I'll definitely try to keep up the good work ;) thank you again!

_Enjoy! (:_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9. Do You Know Where Your Heart Is?<strong>

"Peyton?" Lucas called out when he entered the gallery. Looking around, it honestly amazed him just how much the place had changed since he had last been there. Walls were put up and painted and it seemed like the only thing that needed to be done yet to open the gallery was put up the art.

"In the back! You can come through." Peyton yelled back.

As he made his way through the place, he noticed some art resting against the walls that he was sure of wasn't any of Peyton's. He knew she wasn't planning on filling it all by herself, but she hadn't told him anything about another artist yet either. When he reached Peyton in the back of the gallery, she was talking with a tall blonde man he had never seen before.

"Luke, hi!" She smiled and made her way towards him, hugging him quickly.

"Hey." He said and hugged her back. "The place looks amazing. You did a great job." She only smiled a bit wider and thanked him quietly.

Turning around, she noticed the other man standing there rather awkwardly. "Oh! Lucas, I don't think you have met AJ yet, have you?" She said, gesturing towards him. "Lucas, AJ. AJ, Lucas. He's the other artist exhibiting here."

"Hey, nice to meet you." Lucas smiled and shook AJ's hand.

"Nice to meet you too. I've heard a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope." He laughed, glancing at Peyton.

She only smiled back since it were indeed only good things she had told AJ. In the few weeks since their 'agreement' on simply being friends instead of letting the past dominate the present, it had been great to simply get to know him again. Things had change a lot since high school and even though she still really knew him, he and she herself as well, had also changed in the last six years. And being able to rebuild that great friendship they once had without any tension or awkwardness felt rather amazing.

Chuckling as well, AJ nodded. "All good things. I have to go now, but I'll be back later, okay?" He asked as he turned around to face Peyton.

"Yeah, fine, see you later." She said and watched the two men say goodbye. "What do you think?" She then asked Lucas when AJ had left.

"He seems nice. The art seems great too."

"He _is_ nice. And the art is _amazing_. I really like working with him." Peyton said with a wide smile, practically beaming with excitement.

Peyton had been working with AJ for a while now and she felt really good about him exhibiting in her gallery as well. She had a great feeling about his art and she only hoped people would agree with her when the gallery opened the next day.

"Good." Lucas smiled back. "But 'AJ'?" He said laughingly, raising his eyebrow a tad.

"Arnold Junior." She explained, chuckling softly. "But don't mention it. He hates his name and I actually kind of promised not to tell anyone."

Lucas shrugged a shoulder and had to roll his eyes a bit too. "It isn't that bad. His name could've been Eugene." He said, making her laugh.

"True. Maybe I should start calling you that though." She joked and received a glare of which she didn't really know whether it was playful or not.

"Don't you dare!" He threatened playfully, nudging her in the side. "If you ever call me that, I promise you you'll wish you never had done so."

Feigning fear, she widened her eyes a bit. "You know, now I'm _really _scared." She laughed as he rolled his eyes at her.

"_Anyway_," Lucas started. "I actually came by to see if you would like me to pick you up tomorrow."

"Sure." Peyton nodded. "Six o'clock? Everything should be done here today so that I only have to focus on getting it ready here for the reception in the evening."

Nodding as well, he smiled. "Six o'clock sharp it is then. Now, you need some more help here? Who knows when _Arnold Junior_ will be back to help you out with all of this." He said, gesturing to all the paintings resting against the walls.

"_Luke_!" She exclaimed, making him laugh. "Don't you dare calling him that if he can hear you!" She threatened, but only had to laugh herself as well.

* * *

><p>Like he had promised her, Lucas had been at her house six o'clock sharp the next day and they had made their way over to TRIC. Now, an hour later and as more people walked into the gallery and the place slowly became fuller, it started to somehow feel unreal for Peyton. The place looked exactly like she had always dreamed it would and she actually couldn't believe how many people had shown up to the opening. Tree Hill was a small town, and almost everyone knew everyone, but she hadn't expected that so many people would actually be interested in her art gallery. She was pulled out her thoughts as she heard someone call out her name. Turning around, she was met with the bright smiles of two of her best friends.<p>

"Sawyer!" Nathan called as he and Haley approached her. She hugged both of them and couldn't help but match their smiles.

"It looks wonderful here. You did such a great job." Haley gushed, looking around her.

Smiling even wider, and maybe blushing a bit too, Peyton laughed softly. "Thank you, Hales. And thank you for being here, it means a lot to me."

Nathan scoffed, "As if we wouldn't be here to support you. Besides, Brooke would probably kill us if we weren't here." He chuckled as Haley discreetly shoved his arm.

"Feel free to ignore him." She laughed. "Really, Peyton, we're _so_ proud of you. You'll do great here, I know so." Haley smiled softly and Peyton returned the smile as she quietly thanked her and hugged her again.

"Okay, before you two go crying and it gets awkward, you know, because of the tears, let's just check all this art out, okay?" Nathan interrupted teasingly and both women had to laugh, and maybe a few tears were indeed already there in the corners of Peyton's eyes.

Before they wandered through the rest of the gallery, Nathan pulled his best friend in his arms once again as well, whispering, "You know, I'm really proud of you too, right? I always knew you could do this."

"Thank you, Nate." Peyton said quietly and gave him a genuine smile. "Now go look at all my art." She laughed softly and shooed him away from her and in the direction of Haley.

As she was about to mingle with all her guests, she noticed another familiar face making his way into the brand new gallery. He was already grinning at her from afar and she could only laugh at his excitement.

Walking closer to her, his grin only grew wider. "Peyton, hey!" Julian said as he hugged her as well. "Congratulations! You did something amazing in here." He congratulated her.

"Thanks Julian. I can't take all the credit though." She smiled. "Karen has helped me so much, I don't know what I'd done without her. And AJ has been a huge help as well."

"AJ?"

"The other artist." Peyton explained. "Haven't you met him yet?" She asked and as he nodded negatively, she looked around in search of AJ. "AJ!" She called out as she spotted him standing alone a little bit further. "I'd like to introduce you to someone. AJ, this is Julian Baker. Julian, AJ." She said with that smile that just didn't seem to disappear this evening. "He's Brooke's husband."

"Oh, hey. Nice to meet you." AJ smiled as well, shaking Julian's outstretched hand. "I met Brooke yesterday, she was talking about you all the time." He laughed, which Julian matched without any problem.

"Nice to meet you too and yeah, she tends to do that sometimes." Julian grinned that grin of his, making Peyton roll her eyes just a little. "Your work seems amazing by the way." He continued, gesturing to all the paintings in the gallery.

Bowing his head a little, AJ thanked him before pointing to some other people. "I actually have to see those people as well, but I'll see you later, right?"

"Yeah, sure." Both Peyton and Julian nodded. "It was really nice to meet you." Julian said again and they both watched AJ's retreating figure.

"Nice guy." Julian commented as he turned back to Peyton.

Nodding again, she smiled. "Yeah, he's a great addition to the gallery. Hey, where's Brooke by the way? You didn't come here without her, right?"

"No, she had to stop at the bathroom first. I'll better go look where she is. See you later, Peyton."

"Yeah, see you." She answered. "Oh, and Julian, thank you for coming. I really appreciate it."

He let out a scoff that quite resembled the one Nathan had let out earlier. "As if we would be anywhere else." He grinned before walking away from her.

And looking around her, it seemed as if a lot of people had had the same thought as Julian. She honestly couldn't believe that all those people were there only for her and AJ's art.

She also couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit proud of herself too.

* * *

><p>"I always knew you could do it. I knew it when you first told me about your plans, I knew it when you actually started to build this place up and seeing the result now, I definitely know you'll make this a great business." An older woman's voice sounded somewhere behind her. As she turned her head, she saw Karen's warm smile and had no problem matching it.<p>

"Thank you." Peyton said. "I couldn't have done it without you though. I owe you so much."

Shaking her head a few times, Karen laughed lightly. "You don't owe me a thing. You did this by yourself. And I'm _so _proud of you for that."

"Stop saying all those things, you're going to get me blushing." Peyton laughed as well. "But still, thank you so much. You can say whatever you want but without you I wouldn't even have this place." She insisted, putting her hand on Karen's arm.

"_Fine_." Karen said, letting out a few chuckles. "You're welcome. And I wouldn't want it any other way, I think this place was made for you."

As Peyton thanked Karen for the third time in only a few minutes, both woman had to laugh again. She couldn't thank the older woman enough though. Ever since she had moved to Savannah and had started working at that gallery it had been her dream to have one of her own one day. She knew for sure that without Karen's help and support it would've taken her much longer to actually start something up on her own.

"I better go search Andy now before he buys everything in here. He's very fond of great art." Karen smiled. "I just wanted to see you and congratulate you."

Smiling thankfully, Peyton said, "Yeah, you better go then. Not that I would mind him buying some things though." The curly blonde laughed. "I need to go too, someone was asking for me earlier. I'll see you later this evening, right?"

"Of course. Go sell some paintings." Karen laughed as well before walking away in search of Andy.

* * *

><p>"Hey Broody." Brooke's raspy voice sounded next to him. He tilted his head a little, giving her a soft smile. "She did good, huh?"<p>

"She did great." He nodded, that smile still on his face. "It looks amazing in here." Lucas continued, but while he was speaking his eyes were fixed on Peyton who was standing a bit further, talking to a few people.

Chuckling lightly, Brooke followed his trail of vision. "You mean, she looks amazing too?" She said knowingly, nudging his elbow lightly. "It's a Clothes over Bros original, the dress." She commented, proud over the dress she made for Peyton. It was dark green and it was just perfect for her best friend.

Lucas chuckled as well and nodded at Brooke. "It's a beautiful dress, Brooke. Yours looks nice too." He smiled.

"Thank you." She said, smiling back. Silence fell for a while and Brooke just couldn't help but notice how, what or whoever Lucas was trying to look at, his vision always ended back on Peyton. She thought about not saying anything about it, but honestly, she had always been kind of meddler. In a perfectly good way of course. "God, Lucas, just get your act together, buddy." She finally blurted out, not being able to keep her mouth shut any longer.

"What?" He asked and let out a surprised laugh.

"Get your act together, buddy." Brooke repeated her words with a smile and a shake of her head.

She loved Lucas, and he had been one of her very best friends for years now, but he could be so blind sometimes. And a bit slow to catch up on some things. It had been great to see Lucas and Peyton rebuilding their friendship in the last few weeks, but in her opinion, it was about time they both got honest about everything. She didn't think there was _anyone _that thought those two would stay only friends forever, she would appreciate it if they both would see that as well.

"Brooke, what do you mean?"

"I mean, stop acting as if being her friend is the only thing you want. Isn't that clear when I say 'get your act together?'" She explained. "If I can see it, I'm pretty sure others can do so too."

"As if there hasn't been a time that you saw things other people don't. You see cute couples everywhere, it's your meddling instinct." Lucas replied, even almost rolling his eyes.

Giving him a pretty scary glare, she flipped her hair over her shoulders. "First, I don't have a meddling instinct." She said even though she knew she did. She just wasn't going to agree with him. "And second, I'm glad to hear you say you and Peyton are a cute couple. I didn't say you were, so that's all on you." She smiled sweetly at him.

He only shook his head, knowing there was no way in arguing with Brooke. She started to walk away, patting his shoulder lightly in the process, but then suddenly turned around again.

"If you still or again feel like I know you did in senior year, please just get your act together, Luke. You can't hide forever." She said softly and send him a last smile before walking further into the gallery, heading towards her husband.

* * *

><p>"Quite a night, huh?" Brooke asked while sitting down next to Peyton on the ground, their backs resting against a wall. From where they sat, they could practically see the whole gallery and Brooke had never been proud of her best friend. It had been amazing to see Peyton so happy all night.<p>

Everyone had gone home now and it was only Brooke, Julian, Peyton and AJ left at the gallery. Julian was talking to AJ somewhere and Brooke thought it'd be an excellent moment to talk to her best friend alone now. It had been such a crazy evening for Peyton that she had hardly seen her, let alone talk to her without anyone else standing near.

"Yeah." Peyton sighed softly. "I'm pretty tired now though."

"Understandable." She answered with a chuckle.

Silence fell for a while and Peyton couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the evening she had had. She had her own gallery now and though it had been a while since she had made the decision to make that dream of hers come true, she still couldn't fully wrap her head around it. It was true though; she really did own a gallery. A smile couldn't help but appear on her face when thinking about that.

"So, how does it feel now?" Brooke asked after some good moments. "You have a gallery now, it's what you always wanted."

"It feels amazing." She said, turning her head and locking eyes with her brown haired best friend. "I still can't believe it, but it does feel great." Peyton finished and laughed lightly at her own explanation.

Giving Peyton a wide smile, Brooke nodded. "You'll get used to it. I still remember when I opened my first store, I thought I was dreaming the whole night. But eventually you just realize it is in fact true." She said and shrugged her shoulder. "You look really happy, P. Sawyer."

"I am happy." Peyton answered with a nod. "You know, you look really happy too."

"Well, I am happy too." She let her hand rest upon her belly and couldn't help but smile, thinking about the little bug that would soon be a part of her family. In only two months their baby would finally be there and she couldn't be happier about that.

"We both got what we wanted, B. Davis. I have my gallery now, you have the company and Julian and the baby. We're living our dreams."

"Are we?" Brooke said as she locked eyes with Peyton.

Peyton could only sigh at Brooke's words. She knew what she was referring to, she had seen her talk to Lucas earlier and she had definitely noticed all the meaningful glances her best friend had been giving her all evening. But she and Lucas were just friends, nothing more. She simply knew that being friends was what they were supposed to be.

"We are, Brooke. This _is _my dream." She answered Brooke's question at last.

Putting a hand on Peyton's arm, she smiled gently. "I know it is, P. Question is; is it your only dream?"

Not having an answer Brooke would approve of, Peyton rested her head on Brooke's shoulder, sighing once again.

Because, in all honesty, it _wasn't_ her only dream.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ... <strong>What'd you think? I'd love to hear what you thought of it. Reviews are love (:

Oh, and I've posted something new a few days ago; _Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall_. Maybe you'd like to check it out some time? ;P

Anyway, hope you all had a great day, and thank you so much for reading!


	10. Open Your Eyes

**AN: **Hey! I'm once again sorry for the wait, I always try to update soon, but I'm just not a quick writer, sorry! Anyways, here's the tenth chapter, I really hope you like it. It's kind of a fillerish one, but quite a lot is going to happen in the next couple ones, so this one (and maybe the next one too) is a bit transition-y, I guess.

As always, thank you so much to those who reviewed! Those really inspire me, so please let me know what you think of this one as well? I hate to complain, but really, reviews make my world go 'round! ;P

To _Libby_; Thank you so much for your review! I'm so glad you're liking the story. I know what you mean about one-sided fics. You won't see that here (: I love LP, and I love writing them, but I think I'd go nuts if I had to write _only _LP all the time. Ahh, the BP! They're my favourite friendship and writing them is awesome, I'm happy you're enjoying their scenes! Thank you again for your review, I hope you like this chapter as well. Oh, and you'll see about the BJu baby soon enough, I can't tell anything for now ;)

Anyway, thank you all for reading, and _enjoy_!

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><p><strong>Chapter 10. Open Your Eyes<strong>

As Peyton walked the path she once used to walk on every single day, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back years ago.

It had been on this path where she had noticed her dad waiting for her to pick her up. She remembered how she thought that was rather weird, seeing as how her mom was _always _the one who came to pick her up.

Every single day again.

She had stood still for just a second, wondering just why her daddy was there instead of her mom. Then, she had simply run into his arms, only for him having her telling her they had to go somewhere. That somewhere had turned out to be the hospital and ever since she had feared that one day there would someone be waiting for her at the end of the path again, telling her they had to go somewhere again.

Leaving elementary school and not having to walk that path every day had somehow felt like a relief.

She shrugged those thoughts about the past away as she saw her six year old nephew running excitedly towards her. "Aunt Peyton! What are you doing here?" Jamie asked, a wide smile dancing around his lips.

Peyton crouched down to his level and before she knew he had wrapped his arms around her neck, clearly happy to see her. "Hey, buddy." She laughed as he released her. "I'm coming to pick you up today. Your mom called me, she and your dad had to be somewhere, so she asked me if I'd mind if we hung out a bit today."

"I would love to hang out with you today." Jamie said and flashed her a sweet smile. "What are we going to do?" He asked then, getting a quite pensive look on his face as if he had to think really hard to find something.

"I don't know," Peyton shrugged. "Maybe we could go to the park?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed even more excitedly than he seemed before. "I love the park." Jamie added then and Peyton could only chuckle. She had already thought something like that by seeing his reaction. "Can we get ice-cream first though?" He sweetly asked as he took the hand she offered him after she got up again.

Tilting her head a little, she laughed lightly. "Well, Jamie Scott, you are one lucky boy today since your mom actually did tell me to go get some ice-cream first."

"Really? Sweet!" They started walking away from the school, but Jamie stopped suddenly, looking back at the school building. "Is Lily coming too?"

"Um, I don't know, Jimmy-Jam. Your mom didn't ask to pick her up too." Peyton said as she looked around her in search of someone she knew to pick up Lily. There were a lot of parents, but none of all those people could've been there for Lily. "Is she still inside the school?"

Jamie nodded. "Yeah, she's almost always the last one. She's a girl, she takes her time for everything." He said and even rolled his eyes a little. Peyton couldn't help but laugh a little bit, though she had to raise her eyebrows slightly too. "And she likes our teacher. She's always talking to her." He added matter-of-factly.

"Maybe we should wait just a little bit, okay? See if Karen shows up for Lily." Peyton offered. She really didn't want to leave before knowing there would be someone for the little girl.

The blonde boy nodded again before waving to someone in the distance, making Peyton turn around to see who was there. "Uncle Lucas!" Jamie shouted as he saw his uncle walking closer to them.

"Hey, buddy." Lucas smiled and ruffled Jamie's hair a bit before facing Peyton. "Peyton, hey. You're picking him up today?"

"Yeah, Haley called and –"

"We're going to the park!" Jamie said excitedly, but gave Peyton a sheepish look as he realized he had interrupted her. "Sorry."

She chuckled lightly as she looked down at him. "It's okay, little man." Just as she was about to say something more, she was interrupted again by the happy squeals of a girl.

"Lukey, Peytie!" Lily yelled while running closer to them. "Are you coming to pick me up today?" She asked enthusiastically and hugged Peyton's legs before turning to her brother and demanding to be lift off the ground.

"Peyton came to pick me up. We're going to get ice-cream."

"Really? That's so cool." She said, a small hint of jealousy clear in her voice. "Can we go too? You know you love ice-cream too. And you lo-, like Peytie as well. We can all go together." Lily almost begged her brother, using those puppy dog-eyes on him, though she knew he couldn't deny her anything anyway. He glanced at Peyton who smiled at him to let him know she wouldn't mind them joining her and Jamie at all.

Letting out a playful sigh, Lucas tapped Lily's nose lightly. "Fine, princess. We can go too."

"Awesome!" The little girl nearly cried while squirming to get out of Lucas' arms and running to Jamie.

As the two children ran away and Lucas and Peyton followed them, he turned his head to face her. "You sure you don't mind, right?"

"Of course I don't mind. Going for an ice-cream with you isn't exactly torture, Luke." Peyton answered with quite a wide smile he had no problem matching.

* * *

><p>"I want three scoops!" Lily stated decidedly as they stood in front of the ice-cream cart.<p>

Widening her eyes a little, Peyton laughed lightly. "Three?"

"Yes." The girl nodded and smiled as if to indicate there was no room for discussion.

"What do you think about one?" Lucas chimed in, but quickly received an eye-roll from his sister.

"And how am I supposed to get vanilla _and _chocolate in only _one _scoop?" She asked with a raised eye-brow and a hand on her hip. Peyton couldn't help but chuckle at that, though she really tried not to. That girl certainly had quite an attitude.

Shaking his head a little, Lucas raised his eye-brow as well. "And how are you supposed to get them in _three _scoops, missy?" He asked, again resulting in Lily rolling her eyes. "And stop rolling your eyes at me, Lil."

"Stop asking me dumb questions." She refuted.

"Lily," Peyton softly warned. She didn't want to interrupt Lucas, but she also didn't think it was right of Lily to act like that either. She quickly glanced at both Lily and Lucas, who shot her a smile, before walking towards Jamie who was choosing his flavor.

"Sorry, Lukey." Lily apologized then, smiling sweetly. "But can I get three now?"

Smiling as well, he shook his head. "You can get two. One vanilla, one chocolate. Not three, princess."

"Fine." She grumbled, though Lucas knew it was all playful. She wouldn't even be able to finish three scoops anyway. "Jamie, what are you taking?" She then called out to Jamie as Peyton joined Lucas again.

"That's a girl with an attitude if I have ever seen one." Peyton commented with a smile as they both watched the two kids.

Lucas nodded and sent her a cheeky smile. "I know. She's somehow exactly how I imagine the younger version of you to have been." He teased and walked closer to the ice-cream cart to order their ice-cream.

"Hey! I was an amazing little girl! You can ask my dad." She protested while following him.

"So the attitude only came later in life?"

Instead of answering him, Peyton only playfully stuck out her tongue, which resulted in some loud laughter on Lucas' part. She was going to refute what he had said, but really, she had quite an attitude as well, or certainly had had in the past. As Lucas kept on laughing lightly, she sighed lightheartedly and rolled her eyes a little at him. It was all playful and she honestly couldn't love it more. It somehow reminded her of the friendship they used to have in high school. It was this exactly that she had missed so much, what she had wanted back when she had realized she and Lucas were hardly friends anymore. She had wanted her friend back then, and now she had. And since long, almost everything in her life seemed to be moving into the right direction.

She stood by Jamie and Lily as Lucas bought their ice-cream and when they were all served and she was about to walk away, further into the park, she heard the man from the ice-cream cart say something to Lucas that for some weird reason got her feel all tingly. She couldn't help but smile, even though she really _shouldn't_, when they walked away from the cart.

After walking around a bit and having finished their ice-cream, Lucas and Peyton took place at a bench, not far from the playground Lily and Jamie had run off to. Silence lingered for a while as they both looked out over the playground. It was a comfortable silence, much different from how it had been when Peyton had first moved back to Tree Hill.

"You know, that man just told me what a nice family I have." Lucas said smiling, breaking the silence and not knowing Peyton had heard what the man had said earlier.

Smiling as well and trying to ignore those tingles she felt again, she answered, "He did? See, I've always thought Jamie resembled you extremely well." She teased and nudged his side lightly.

"Well, aren't you funny?" He replied, rolling his eyes playfully. "I get that a lot, you know? When I'm out with Jamie or Lily, people compliment me on my beautiful kids or something. It makes me wonder when I'll ever have some of my own." Lucas continued, a lot softer than before and it wasn't hard for Peyton to notice how that was actually something that honestly seemed to worry or bother him.

"Luke, you're only twenty-four. Not everyone gets a baby at sixteen or eighteen." She said in the same soft tone he used before, but still that lightly teasing clear in her voice as well. And he knew she was right, not everyone became a parent as early as Nathan and Haley or Jake. He knew that, but still.

"I know." He nodded. "It's just, you know. Nathan and Haley have a family, Brooke is pregnant. And I, well, I'm only now getting a _job_." He said, but had to let out a few light chuckles as well. Peyton was right, he was only twenty-four, there was still plenty of time, but with Tree Hill's history, it seemed as if you have to have everything already by then.

"That makes two of us then, you know." Peyton laughed as well. "And you'll be an awesome coach. You're not standing still, Lucas. We just needed a little more time than the others to get our lives right." She smiled, believing everything she had said and hoping he would do so as well.

"You think I'll be an awesome coach?" He asked with a crooked smile, making her laugh joyously.

"Of course I do. I'd say you'll be the best coach Tree Hill High will have ever had, but, you know, there's no one like Whitey." She smiled and he had to agree. When the school board had first asked him to coach the basketball team now that Whitey had retired, that had been one of his main concerns. He didn't know if he could teach those players what Whitey had been able to teach everyone in all those years he had coached. Then again, he had figured, that even if he could teach those young boys only a little piece of what Whitey had taught him, that'd be worth it. He smiled back at her, thankful for her belief in him, before simply shrugging his shoulders.

Silence fell for a while again, both Lucas and Peyton lost in their own thoughts, until she got up and dragged him with her towards the playground, insisting that he might not be a dad right now, but that he was still an uncle and a brother and that it didn't matter for them whether he had a job, or kids, or that he had succeeded in the things he wanted to. For those two, it only mattered that he was _there_. Back in Tree Hill after a long time of living in New York, back with them. So that's what he should be doing right then, she said. Spending time with _them_, not worrying over the future.

And he knew she was right.

* * *

><p>"Dad!" Jamie yelled excitedly as he ran towards his dad who was standing at the front door.<p>

After their ice-cream at the park, Lucas had gone home and Peyton had taken both kids with her to the gallery. AJ was there as well and had taught them some basics about drawing and painting, which both Jamie and Lily had loved. Now, as it was almost dinner time, they had first dropped off Lily at Karen's place and then Peyton had brought Jamie home as well.

Catching the boy in his arms, Nathan laughed. "Hi buddy. You had fun with Aunt Peyton?"

"Yeah, she's the coolest." He answered with a wide smile as he glanced at Peyton.

"Aw, thank you, little man. I'm sure your Aunt Brooke will be happy to hear that." She said laughingly as Nathan chuckled as well.

Jamie smiled sheepishly, letting out a few chuckles too. "Aunt Brooke is cool too." He said. "She's the coolest _godmother._ You're the coolest _aunt_." He explained then, talking his way out of things with that typical Scott smirk firm in its place around his lips.

"Sure, Jamie." Nathan said, laughing along. "You better go inside now and clean up a bit. Dinner is almost ready."

"Can Aunt Peyton have dinner with us tonight, dad? I don't want her to leave yet." The boy asked with a wide smile while walking backwards towards the front door.

"If your Aunt Peyton want to, then she can stay, yeah."

Peyton nodded at Jamie, "Sure, buddy. I'd love to."

As Jamie excitedly ran into the house, Peyton couldn't help but smile. She had been back for quite a while now, but it still sometimes surprised her how easily both Lily and Jamie had warmed up to her when she moved back. It wasn't like she had never seen them at all before the day she got back in town, but visits were in fact rather rare. When she was still living in Savannah, she'd mostly talk to Nathan and Haley and Brooke on the phone. There were always several months in between visits, she didn't think that Jamie and Lily would be so happy to have her there when all the time they had spent with her earlier were on those few visits.

"Did you have fun as well?" Nathan asked then, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, it was nice to spend some time with him. We went to the park with Lucas and Lily." She answered, and couldn't help another smile.

"Oh, with Luke?"

"Yes, with Luke." Peyton raised her eyebrows at his teasing tone, but he only held up his hands slightly and shrugged his shoulder, showing her a crooked smile. "You are unbelievable." She said then and shook her head a few times.

Giving her an indignant look, he chuckled lightly. "What? I didn't even do anything!"

"You know what I mean! You have been giving me these hints about Lucas for weeks now." She shoved his arm, but that only resulted in some more chuckling from Nathan. "It's not appreciated."

"Because you know it's true. That's why you don't appreciate it, Sawyer." He laughed as he quickly caught up with her after she had walked away from him into the house in search of Haley.

As they walked inside the living room and she spotted Haley, she walked away from him, but quickly turned back to Nathan, who was still laughing, and sent him a glare,

"Shut up, Scott."


	11. Dreaming Out Loud

**AN: **Hi! First off, I'm _so _sorry it took me almost two months to finish this chapter. Life's been rather crazy and I'm really sorry. I'll try to get the next one's up sooner, but I really can't promise anything. I really hope you guys are not mad at me and still interested in the story (: There's not a lot of action in this one, _but _it does contain some necessary information :P I hope you all like it!

Of course, lots and lots of thanks to those of you who reviewed! You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you so much! And I hate to whine and complain, but I would really appreciate it _so _much if you would let me know what you think of this one as well. Reviews kinda dropped and it's just so much harder to write when I just don't know whether you guys still like it or not. I know there are 'silent readers', I've been one :P, but please, if you have the time, a review would be appreciated so much! Thank you!

Thank you all for reading as well, and _enjoy_!

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><p><strong>Chapter 11. Dreaming Out Loud<strong>

No one goes through life alone, or at least no one _should_.

There are always some people you simply _need_. A best friend is one of those. Someone you can trust with everything you have, someone you know will always, no matter what, be there for you. Those people who laugh with you when you need to laugh, cry when you need to cry, tell you what an idiot you are when you _need _to hear that as well. Those people that you can always count on, without even having to ask them to be there.

Both Lucas and Peyton knew their life would be a whole lot harder if they _wouldn't _have their best friend by their sides.

"So..." Haley drawled out, a silly smile around her lips. "I've heard you're writing again." She said and nudged Lucas' side lightly with her elbow.

"Really? Who told you that?" He laughed at her excitement.

Shaking her head a few times, Haley flipped her hair over her shoulders. "I have my sources. And I don't tattle on them."

"Right." Lucas nodded. "Just tell Peyton that she shouldn't tattle on _me_, okay?" He said and couldn't help but chuckle lightly as he saw Haley searching for her words, opening and closing her mouth a few times, much like a fish.

"Why would you think Peyton is one of my sources?" She finally said and even raised her eyebrow, only making him laugh more.

"Really, Hales?"

"Fine." She grumbled playfully. "She told me that after you went to the park last week with Jamie and Lily you went home to write a bit. I thought you would tell me yourself about it, but _no_, suddenly you don't tell your best friend these kind of things anymore."

Even though the tone of her voice indicated that she was being playful, there was still a part of her talking truth. She knew she was overreacting though, but it somehow felt as if it had been ages since she and Lucas had just sat down and talked. She was happy he was moving on with his life; getting a new place to live, getting a new job, rekindling lost friendships, and all, but she had also thought that maybe now that he was back in town they would spend a lot more time together.

"Aw, Hales, are you feeling left out?" He said teasingly, nudging her side.

"Don't laugh with me, Luke! It's just that... You know, how long has it been since you and I just talked? Just the two of us." She asked, raising an eyebrow again, knowing she had a point. "It just seems as if I saw more of you alone when you still lived in New York than now, when you are actually living in the same town as me."

Pulling her into a side hug, he smiled down at her even though she couldn't actually see him. "I know, I'm sorry. Things have just been rather crazy, you know? But I guess we should make more time for this, right?"

"We should." She agreed. "So, tell me, how's the writing going?" She asked then, changing the subject and her earlier excitement clear in her voice again.

"Good, I guess. I haven't written anything in a long time, it feels rather weird to be working on it again. But good too, definitely good too."

"Good, I'm happy. When can I read?" Haley demanded with a smile and sat up a bit straighter on her spot in Lucas' couch.

"Not yet." He simply answered, resulting in a pout from Haley.

She tilted her head a little and smiled sweetly. "Can you at least tell me what it is about?"

"Not yet." Lucas repeated, because in all honesty, for some weird reason, he didn't really know either what it was about.

* * *

><p>"Hi, B. Davis." Peyton smiled as she walked into Brooke and Julian's living room. Brooke was sitting, lying actually, in the couch, reading what seemed to be her own magazine.<p>

Sitting up a little straighter, she smiled as well. "P. Sawyer, hey. Finally someone that comes visiting me." She said then with a sigh. "I hate Julian for forcing me to lie here all day long."

"You love him for it. Besides, you're more than eight months pregnant, you _need _to rest." Peyton said laughingly, but kinda serious as well and sat down next to Brooke who had made room for her.

Brooke flipped her hair over her shoulder and let her hand rest upon her stomach. "Yeah, yeah. I know." She smiled. "What about you? What brings you here?"

"Nothing much. I just needed to get away from the gallery for a while and thought I'd pay you a visit."

"Why'd you need to get away?" Brooke asked and couldn't help a slightly concerned look. Everything was going pretty well for Peyton lately, she didn't want any troubles for her now.

Peyton shrugged her shoulders a bit, "I don't know. I just couldn't concentrate on my art, you know. Just needed a little break, I think."

"But you're okay, right?"

"Of course I'm okay." She said with a smile. "Just some things on my mind."

"Lucas?"

Letting out a short laugh, she shook her head a few times. "Not everything involves Lucas, you know."

"Well, with you it mostly does." Brooke answered, but only received a look from her best friend. "You know it's true, P." She added playfully and Peyton could only roll her eyes.

"It isn't." She defended herself. "Enough about me though, how was your latest ultrasound?"

Brooke started talking excitedly about the baby, but in the back of her mind she knew there was more to it than what Peyton told her. She had that look on her face that Brooke knew all too well, and she knew that Peyton wasn't going to let it out just like that. She knew she'd have to talk and talk to her before the blonde would tell her what was going on.

* * *

><p>"You need to stop brooding, you know?" Haley smiled, bumping his shoulder lightly with hers. She had been at his place for a while now and they had talked, a lot. About the silliest of things, but also about his new coaching job, about Nathan's basketball, about her music. But through all of it, she had noticed that even though Lucas seemed to be glad to be talking to her, he also seemed kind of lost in thought sometimes, that broody look firmly in its place.<p>

"What?" He smiled back, but his smile seemed just the tiniest of bits weary.

"I know you, Luke. What's going on?"

He shook his head a few times, though he was still smiling as well. He had thought he had done a pretty good job in disguising his worries and thoughts, but Haley had practically seen through all of it. "Nothing." He answered anyways, though he knew she would not approve of his answer.

Haley shook indeed her head, giving him a bit of a pointed look. "Okay, what about I ask you that question again and you answer without lying to me?" She said. "What's going on?"

"It's Peyton."

"What about Peyton?"

Lucas let out something between a scoff and a laugh. If only he knew what about her. "Where do I start?"

"At the beginning." Haley offered, that comforting smile that was so typically her on her face.

"That means we have to go back to Junior year, Hales." He replied, scratching the back of his neck. Eight years. Eight years since he had gotten to know the curly blonde and things had never seemed more complicated than right now. He didn't know where to start, nor did he know what to actually _say_. He only knew that there was something about her, something about _them_, and that he probably wouldn't be able to act much longer like there _wasn't_.

"Well, then do. Or maybe skip the parts I already know." She said, letting out a light chuckle. "You fell in love with her in Junior year, I know that. I also know that you've probably never fallen out of love with her."

He shook his head, "Haley –"

"Tell me I'm wrong, Luke." She answered before he could say more. She turned her body a bit more towards him and locked eyes with him. "If I am, just say so and then explain to me what's going on now. Am I wrong?"

"I don't know." He said honestly. "I just don't. Maybe you're right, maybe it's been there all along."

"Are you in love with her now?"

Lucas sighed rather deeply, looking at Haley as if he had no clue in the world. "I, yeah, there are feelings. But it just seems too late, or too early. I don't know. Maybe it's all just lost already."

"Lucas, are you even listening to yourself? _Why _would things be lost? Because some things happened? You really shouldn't let the past affect your present, or future." Haley answered, a hint of a smile around her lips.

She knew it wasn't easy, nothing had ever been easy between those two, but he didn't have to make it any harder than necessary either. She wanted her best friend to be happy, to lead a full live with love and laughter. To find the kind of love she had already found. When he had met Lindsey and they had started dating, Haley had thought, had _hoped_, that they'd be happy together forever. It had hurt her to see him living in an unhappy marriage and when he had moved back to Tree Hill, she had hoped with all of her heart for him to find happiness again.

And he had, she was sure he had, or at least he _would_. He just needed to see it for himself. He needed to realize that a future with Peyton wasn't some unreachable notion, because she was quite sure of that as well.

"Hales, we're friends now. Good friends, great friends even. I don't want to mess that up."

Shaking her head softly and placing a comforting hand on his arm, she smiled yet again. "Who says you will? She might just feel the same way."

"You seem quite sure about that." He said, trying to match her smile.

"Well, I guess it's because I know how you and Peyton will never be _just _friends. I realized that quite some time ago, maybe you should try and do the same."

Pulling Haley into a side hug with one arm, Lucas nodded. "I'll try."

* * *

><p>"Okay." Brooke sighed a little, getting just a tiny tad frustrated by the brooding look on her best friend's face. It had turned out she was right. Even though Peyton was talking and smiling and seemingly happy she also seemed a little distant maybe. A bit lost in thought, making Brooke wonder all the more what was going. She had a fairly good idea though. "You know why Lucas and I broke up?" She asked then, surprising Peyton.<p>

"What?"

"Me and Lucas. Break-up. Senior year." Brooke explained.

When she and Lucas had broken up, she'd had to tell Peyton of course. She had given a simple explanation, not wanting to get into it too much and somewhat just wanting to leave it all behind her. However, over the years she had always contemplated telling Peyton more about it. But it was a sore subject, the Lucas one, she knew that, and so she had never brought it up again. Now though, she somehow felt like she _had _to. As if, for some reason, it would be the only way to make Peyton see some things more clearly.

Giving her best friend a fairly confused look, Peyton shrugged her shoulder just a tiny bit. "It didn't work anymore, that's what you've always told me. You guys grew apart."

"We did." She nodded. "It just, it didn't happen just like that, you know? It had a lot to do with you, in some sort of way."

"_I_'m the reason you broke up? Brooke, I –"

"Hey, don't get me wrong! I don't blame you or anything, silly." The brunette smiled, taking a sip of her drink. "When you moved to Savannah, I saw something change in Lucas. He, I don't know, it was as if with you a part of him had left too. God, that sounds like such a cliché." She chuckled, but only received some more confused looks from Peyton.

It just sounded so weird to Peyton. She remembered leaving for Savannah and moving in with Jake. Nathan and Haley were happily married, Brooke and Lucas were happy together as well. There didn't seem anything wrong with them, not long before she had moved Lucas had actually assured her that he was insanely in love with her best friend. Needless to say, she was quite surprised when Brooke had told her they'd broken up. Hearing now that _she _was the reason, or so it seemed, was something she hadn't expected at all.

"He changed. He just wasn't the Lucas I fell in love with anymore. You left and it wasn't hard for any of us to see how that had changed him. I know he'll always claim for that not to be true, but you can ask Haley, she'll agree with me. It was as if you not being there just made him... I don't know how to say it, he just, he changed. And it made me realize that we weren't really working. He felt the same way and well, you know how it ended." Brooke smiled, but didn't get a smile back from Peyton. The blonde was just kind of sitting there, a little stunned by what Brooke had told her.

After a couple minutes of silence she looked up to meet Brooke's eyes, "Brooke, I... I don't want to be the reason you two broke up, how –, that just isn't right. You shouldn't be so okay with this, I –"

"You do realize it's been six years since then, right?" She chuckled again. "I'm over it and I don't blame you at all, never did. It stung a little in the beginning, you know. I had a hard time dealing with the fact that we _weren't _meant to be and that he wasn't the one and that Peyton Sawyer might just be his 'one' –"

"Don't say that." Peyton interrupted her, shaking her head.

"Fine. It was hard, but well, all break-ups are, right? And everything turned out great for me. I found my man, he's the one I'm truly supposed to be with." She smiled at the thought of Julian before silence fell for a while.

"Why are you telling me this?" Peyton asked at last, still trying to wrap her head around that whole new piece of information.

Sitting up a little straighter in her place and as she let her hand travel to her stomach, Brooke sighed lightly. "Because I want you to see how it has _always _been there. Ever since Junior year you have been in his head and vice versa. I don't want you to hide from it anymore, P. I want you to face it, you _should _face it."

"Face what, Brooke?" She said and sighed deeply as well. "Yes, we had something in Junior year. Yes, we slept together a couple of years ago. That doesn't have to mean anything right now. We have a complicated history, but hey, it's Tree Hill. Who doesn't have a complicated history here?"

"It doesn't _have_ to mean anything, but it _does_. You know it does, don't you? You can't keep on hiding behind Tree Hill's craziness, you know."

Another silence fell as they both sat there, Brooke looking sympathetically at her best friend while Peyton was looking down at her hands, simply not knowing what to say next. When she finally lifted her head, she ran a hand through her hair, suddenly feeling rather tired.

"God, Brooke, who am I fooling? _Of course _it means something. I just, I don't know what to do. I feel something for him, more than I actually should, and I'm just sitting here, –"

"Hiding behind the past." Brooke finished Peyton's sentence, even though she was sure that wasn't what Peyton was going to say. "It's time to stop doing that, don't you think?"

"It's not that easy."

"It is." She said with a nod as if to emphasize her words. "You have feelings for him, tell him. He might just feel the same way."

Peyton knew Brooke only wanted what was best for her, but she really didn't think it was as simple as Brooke made it out to be. They were friends now, she didn't want to jeopardize that new found friendship with her stupid feelings. And whether they wanted to face it or not, there was still a lot unresolved history lingering between them. She knew Brooke liked to think that everything would just magically fall into place, but it wouldn't. Things would only get more complicated.

"Quite easy for you to say when you're already having the perfect relationship, isn't it?" Peyton said with a smile and maybe hoping just a little bit to get away from the current object.

"You talking about me and Julian?"

"Do you have any other relationships I don't know about? Of course I'm talking about you and Julian." She answered and rolled her eyes though they both had to laugh too.

Shaking her head, Brooke smiled as well. "We don't have the perfect relationship, Peyton. No one does. We're happy now, really happy, but things have been hard for us too, you know."

"You just make it all seem so effortless."

Brooke scoffed, "Effortless? You do remember the whole Alex thing and that time I drove all the way down to Savannah because I couldn't take it anymore, right? I was a complete mess. Luckily you and Jake were there for me back then. And I'm here for you now too, I don't want you to hide from your feelings or whatever other things there might be. Things with Lucas will turn out just fine." She smiled, placing a comforting hand on her best friend's arm.

Smiling back at her, Peyton slightly nodded. "Your optimism is inspiring, Brooke Davis Baker." She said playfully, though she partly meant it as well.

Maybe things would in fact turn out fine and they'd all live happily ever after.

A girl could dream, right?


	12. A Wish For Something More

**AN: **Hey! I'm once again so sorry for the wait, but at least I got this chapter up sooner than the previous one. Counts for something, no? :P I really hope you all like it! Also, thank you _so _much to those of you who reviewed last chapter! I appreciate it so much and it's such a motivation, so thank you!

Anyway, thank you all for reading as well, and _enjoy_!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12. A Wish For Something More<strong>

"Why again did I ask you to come with me?" Peyton grumbled, pacing back and forth in the small motel room. She was frustrated and maybe that wasn't all his fault, but right now, he was the only one there to be frustrated with.

"Because you wanted company, that's why." He answered, sighing just a little. "It's not my fault the car broke down, you know."

"I know. But you fumbling with whatever is in a car did not help either." She said and threw him a look. "How much longer is this going to take by the way? I need to get to Brooke."

Standing up from the chair he was sitting in, Lucas walked closer to her to stop her from pacing. "I don't know how long it's going to take, you know they're working on it. And Julian's with Brooke, I'm pretty sure that right now, she doesn't really need you."

"I still want to be there, Lucas. We better get there soon."

Peyton had asked Lucas to accompany her to some art convention, a couple of hours away from Tree Hill. She didn't want to go alone and since AJ couldn't, Lucas had been more than glad to go with her. Unfortunately their car had broken down on the way back and they had been forced to stay in a motel for the night. It was morning now though, but their car was not fixed yet. Lucas had called Nathan, but he and Haley were out of town for the weekend. Then Julian had called and it had turned out that Brooke had gone into labour, resulting in a very frustrated Peyton that just wanted to get out of there and get to her best friend.

"I know, Peyt, I know." He smiled a little, hoping she would match his smile. "There's nothing we can do right now, Peyton, so just try to calm down a bit, okay? Take a seat, rest a bit. No point in getting all worked up."

She sighed rather deeply and took a seat like he had told her. "I just, I don't like this, okay? I promised Brooke I'd be at the hospital when she needed me to and now I'm stuck here and..."

"And what?"

Sighing again, she met his eyes, "And I don't know whether you remember the last time we were together in a motel room or not, but I don't particularly like those memories a whole lot."

"Oh."

"Yeah." She nodded slightly, something that should resemble a small smile but not quite on her face.

"Because of, you know..." He let his sentence trail, not quite knowing how to finish.

"Because of all of it, Luke. Because for the better part of all the time we spent in that room I thought my dad was dead. Because I cheated on my best friend with you back then. How could I like a memory of cheating? It'd make me a horrible person." She said and let her hands go through her hair in a frustrated way. She _really _wanted to get to Brooke and she really didn't want to have this conversation.

He simply nodded and couldn't help but let his mind wander back to that day. It wasn't like he was proud of what had happened between them back then, of course he wasn't, but he'd like to think she would think back to it in some sort of positive way. He knew it all had been pretty hurtful, but it had also meant a lot to the both of them, he knew that as well. He didn't want it to be one of her worst memories. Not that she had said that it was, but still.

"Hey, it's nothing personal though." Peyton said after a couple of moments, somewhat jokingly, making him look up at her again. Looking a bit more serious, she gave him another small smile. "You know that day, it meant... Just, you know, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Lucas nodded, wearing a smile himself.

She nodded as well. "Okay."

Silence fell then as they both simply sat in the room, waiting for time to pass.

* * *

><p>"Do you think you can find it?"<p>

She asked her question quietly, almost too softly for him to hear, as they were still waiting in the motel room for the car to be ready. They had promised them it'd be ready in an hour and she hoped with everything she had that the car would in fact be ready by then. In the meantime though, they could only wait. And as they waited and sat in that motel room, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to that day they spent in the park together. How he was worried about not having everything already, things their friends already seemed to have for a long time now.

"Find what?" Lucas asked rather confused, tilting his head a little to catch a glimpse of her face before she looked down.

"Happiness. You know, that happiness that makes your life complete. The kind Brooke or Haley already found. Do you think anyone can find it?" She answered, looking back up and fixing her eyes on his.

"You mean can _you _find it too?" He pointed out softly and received a small shrug of her shoulders. "I guess so, yeah." He said anyway, shrugging one of his shoulders as well. "I mean, I believe it's out there for everyone. But it's not some destination, Peyton. It's not something, some place, you'll reach at one point and stay there forever, have it forever. It's an emotion, something that comes and goes. It's not some kind of thing to achieve."

"I know." She nodded. "But there's nothing wrong with wanting it, wanting to feel it, I mean. I know it's not something you'll have forever, but that doesn't take away that I still want to find it. Feel it again, you know." Peyton said, toying a bit with the rings on her fingers. "If it's out there for anyone, why is it taking me so long to feel it again?"

"Life has its reasons, I guess."

"Well, that sucks." She said and he couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle.

"I know." He agreed with a small smile. Silence settled between them for a while before Lucas looked back up again and locked eyes with her. "Are you unhappy, Peyton?"

"I'm not." She answered and shook her head a few times. "I'm quite happy, I guess. I just… I don't feel that really great happiness, that fulfillment."

"Did you feel it when you were still with Jake?" Lucas asked, though he honestly didn't know just why he did so. They were friends now, yes, but bringing up the Jake subject still made him feel a tad uncomfortable. He liked to blame it on the guilt he still felt over all that had happened, yet it might have had a little to do with that twinge of jealousy he couldn't help but feel every time he thought about her being married to him.

"I always thought I did. Looking back now though, I guess I didn't."

"You didn't?" He couldn't help but ask. She had to, right? Isn't that what being married is all about? Finding another person, someone to share your life with, someone who _truly _makes you happy? He knew his marriage wasn't quite like that, but it always surprised him to hear it wasn't like that for her either.

She shrugged her shoulders again, "I didn't. I know that sounds awful because Jake was my husband and you're supposed to feel that way when you decide to marry and all of it, but I just…" She let her sentence trail and looked around the small room, wondering how she ever got to this place. Divorced from the guy she had once thought she was going to be with forever, sitting in a small motel room with the guy she somehow knew might be her real forever. "I was happy with Jake, not always, but most of the time. I really was happy, but I don't think I ever got to feel that fulfillment. And you're supposed to feel that, aren't you?"

"I guess so. But it's no shame in saying that you didn't. I didn't either. Lindsey and I, we… We didn't really work, did we?"

"I hope that's a rhetorical question and you don't expect me to answer it?" She teased and their knees touched as they both laughed and she could swear that every word, every touch of him only made her feel more. It also only confused her more.

They both sobered up and after a little while of silence he looked up again and met her eyes. "I know you really want to feel it and be so joyously happy like Brooke or Haley, and you _will_, but you just gotta give it some time." He smiled. "Things will turn out just fine." He said then and covered her hands with his. His words took her back to that little talk she had had with Brooke not too long ago.

_Things with Lucas will turn out just fine. _

For a moment, just for a split second, she thought they'd kiss. She was sure he felt it too. He kept looking right into her eyes and though she wished she didn't, she couldn't help but to look away, somewhat afraid for what might happen if she _didn't _look away.

He let go of her hands and stood up for no particular reason at all. Being stuck with her in motel room really wasn't the greatest thing out there right now. Or maybe it was, if it wouldn't be so utterly confusing. One moment he was sure she was feeling all the same things as he did, the other moment he could swear he would never be something more than just a friend to her.

It stayed silent between them for a really long time then until both their cell phones suddenly beeped. They both stood up, but didn't really look up, and before they knew they had hardly collided. Lucas' hand immediately fell to her waist to steady her and she put hers on his forearm in search of balance. Looking up to meet his eyes, he was looking intently at her and it kind of reminded her of that other time, way back in the past, where they had been in a motel room together as well.

It seemed to be one of those moments you just know things are going to change. When you simply know that whatever happens next, it won't be the same like it was only a few minutes ago. It was one of those moments, right there. She knew it. So did he. Her breath got caught in her throat and she somewhat vaguely heard that voice ringing in her head, telling her that she might be about to make a huge mistake.

And then she remembered Brooke's words. _Things with Lucas will turn out just fine_.

It all seemed to happen in a split second. Another split second and they were both leaning in. And yet another one and she could feel his lips on hers. His hands got tangled in her curls, like they had done almost every single time they had kissed in the past and she held one of hers in his neck, somewhat pulling him closer to her, while her other one was still resting upon his forearm. They broke apart as their phones both beeped again. Both breathless, they looked up at each other, but didn't quite know what to say and after a brief moment, they both got to their phones.

"Um, it's Julian. And Haley. They're asking where we are. Apparently it's really time to get to Brooke now." Lucas spoke up as he read the text messages from his friends.

Clearing her throat a bit awkwardly, Peyton nodded. "Yeah, I got the same ones. Better go and see if the car's ready, right?"

"Yeah, guess so. Let's go."

* * *

><p>"God, he's <em>so <em>cute." Haley gushed as she held the baby in her arms for the first time. They had arrived at the hospital a couple of hours ago, but it was only now they could see Brooke and her newborn son.

Nathan was standing next to her, his eyes fixed on the little man as well, a huge smile on his face. "I can't believe you guys actually made this little one. He's so beautiful."

"Hey, so are we!" Julian protested. His words were soon followed by everyone's laughter as Brooke looked up to her husband,

"Don't call yourself beautiful, baby." She smiled but before she had even fully spoken her words, her eyes had already travelled back to the door, hoping her best friend would suddenly appear.

It had been more than ten hours since she had arrived at the hospital and she had made Julian call Peyton immediately. It seemed silly, but she really wanted her best friend with her right now. She wanted for Peyton to see that amazing little boy, lying there in his aunt's arms right now. That beautiful boy she already loved more than life itself. She just wanted to share all that with her best friend, like they had already shared everything important in their lives. And even though she had just given birth and that was the most important thing right now, she still couldn't help but wonder just _why _it took Peyton so long to get there. And why was Lucas even with her?

After Nathan had held the newest addition to the Baker family as well, the little boy was passed onto his mother again who took him in her arms with the widest smile on her face.

"Look who's here!" An voice then exclaimed from in the hallway. Brooke looked up, and though she wished it would have been Peyton showing up, she couldn't help but love the two people entering as well, a bunch of balloons floating behind them. "Where's the baby?" Skills asked then excitedly and it warmed Brooke's heart to see him like that. She was sure he'd be an amazing uncle to her son, just like he was to Jamie.

She smiled widely at both Skills and Mouth, "He's here. Wanna hold him?"

"That a question?" Skills looked at her with a raised eyebrow, eagerly holding out his hands for the baby. Mouth could only laugh at his friend's excitement, knowing he would get a chance to hold the boy later on.

As everyone in the room cooed over their son, Julian moved closer to Brooke, smiling reassuringly at her. "She'll show up soon, don't worry. They're on their way."

"I know." She nodded. "I just, I want her here already, you know? I want her to see our son."

Nodding as well, he caressed the apple of her cheek before quickly kissing her. "She will."

"Hey, where's Peyton? And Lucas?" Mouth asked then as he looked around the room and noticed two of their friends were missing.

"Here! We're here!" Peyton almost yelled as she came rushing into the room, Lucas following right behind her. She seemed a little breathless, but a huge grin appeared on her face as she spotted Brooke sitting up in the hospital bed, a relieved smile on her face. "I'm so sorry we're late. We really tried to get here sooner, but well, let's just say that didn't go all that well." She apologized, exchanging a look with Lucas that hadn't gone unnoticed by her best friend.

Brooke shook her head softly, "It's no problem, we're just really glad you guys are here now."

"So are we." Lucas said, speaking up as well. "Now, where's this kid we've been breaking speed limits for?" He chuckled then just as Skills was about to hand the baby back to Brooke.

"Right here." She answered and sat up a bit straighter in her bed as both Lucas and Peyton moved closer to them.

Gasping just a little, Peyton held out her hands as if she was aching to just hold him. "Brooke, he is _so _beautiful. He's just, can I hold him, please?" She said then, biting her bottom lip a bit as if she was embarrassed to ask that question.

"Of course you can. I'm pretty sure this little man has been waiting for his godmother to hold him." Peyton's eyes went wide as she took the baby from Brooke. "Oh, seriously? You are surprised?" Brooke asked laughingly, a maybe just a little bit teary-eyed as well, as she looked at her best friend holding the most precious thing in her life now.

"Thank you." Peyton simply whispered before shifting her attention to the little bundle in her arms. "Now, hey you, Baby Baker."

Lucas smiled as he saw Peyton interacting with her godson as if it was all she was ever made for. Seeing her like this, he knew she'd make a great mom someday. He shook those thoughts away and instead turned to Brooke and Julian and congratulated them both. The happiness seemed to be simply radiating off of them and he was taken back to his conversation with Peyton earlier that day. He as well now couldn't help but somewhat wonder when he would find that happiness that seemed to make your life complete.

"What's his name?" He asked after a few moments, realizing they didn't know it yet.

Hearing Lucas' question, Peyton looked away from the baby in her arms and instead looked at Brooke and Julian.

Brooke spoke up, "Ryan. Ryan Nathan Baker."

"It's beautiful." Haley smiled. Nathan on the other hand stood beside her, a dumbstruck expression on his face. Nudging her husband in the side, he awkwardly coughed before smiling as well,

"Are you guys serious? You," He shook his head a couple of times. "That means a lot, it really does."

"It means a lot to us too, Nate." Julian said as Brooke nodded and Nathan stepped forward to thank them both.

After a while of little small talk and some more cooing over the little boy, who was now lying in his father's arms, Nathan and Haley decided to leave, as well as Skills and Mouth.

"I think I'm going to go home as well. Peyton, you want a ride?" Lucas asked after a few minutes of only him, Peyton, Brooke and Julian in the room. And little Ryan as well of course.

Exchanging a look with Brooke, she shook her head, "No, it's good. Um, I'll see you soon, right?"

"Yeah, see you." He said before looking at Brooke. "You did great, Brooke. That boy is amazing. You should be proud."

"I am. Thank you, Luke."

Smiling, he quickly hugged her. "You're welcome."

Julian handed Ryan over to his wife and followed Lucas outside the room, walking him out of the hospital and giving the two best friends a minute alone.

"So, B. Davis, how does it feel? You're a _mom_ now."

"It feels… incredible. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I made this." She said with a laugh Peyton had no problem matching.

Stroking the boy's cheek, Peyton couldn't help another smile, "Luke's right, he is amazing. And I love the name."

"Yeah? Julian came up with it, it means 'Little King'. He's like, so proud he found a name with a meaning like that." Brooke chuckled.

"Well, it _is _a pretty kick-ass meaning. And I'm sure this little one will turn out to be a little king. He's going to be adored by every single one of us, he already is actually."

Biting her lip to prevent her from crying, Brooke managed to whisper a _thank you_ and then couldn't help but laugh as Peyton tried to hug her without squashing Ryan.

"Now, where were you the whole day? Julian said you were stuck somewhere." Brooke started. "And what's with you and Broody? I've seen the looks."

Shaking her head, she smiled softly, "I'll tell you later. But this day is not about me, you know, so now tell me more about your day, okay?"

Brooke simply nodded and started telling more about Ryan and what Peyton had missed earlier that day. She still wondered what had happened, but she knew Peyton would eventually tell her. And as she looked down at her son, she had to agree with her best friend, this day was not about Peyton, or not even about her.

It was all about her beautiful baby, and she could not be happier about that.


	13. Time to See if You Can Reach Me

**AN: **Hey guys. I know it's been ages and I'm so sorry for that. I could give you a bunch of reasons why it took me so long, but all that really matters is that I'm really sorry. I hope you're still interested in this story and if you are, thank you so much for reading! Also thank you to those of you who reviewed last chapter, it means a lot.

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><p><strong>Chapter 13. Time to See if You Can Reach Me<strong>

"What about this one?" Haley asked and held up a baby grow for Peyton to see.

She nodded, though she wasn't really looking, "Hmm, great."

"Oh, and maybe we could buy this knife too? I'm sure Brooke would love it for Ryan."

"Sure. Wait, what?" Peyton asked then, looking up at Haley. "You want to buy a _knife_?"

Laughing, Haley shook her head, "Of course I don't want to buy a knife, silly. I just want you to pay attention."

"I _was _paying attention." She defended herself.

"Your first reaction to me wanting to buy a knife was _sure_. You weren't paying attention." Haley commented with a chuckle.

Peyton let out a few chuckles as well, "Fine, maybe I wasn't paying that much attention."

"What's on your mind, girly?"

"Nothing." She shrugged her shoulders and looked further at all the baby clothes, not noticing the look she got from Haley.

"It's cute, you know." Haley said then matter-of-factly.

"The baby grow?"

Locking eyes with Peyton, she smiled. "Yeah, that too. But I actually meant the way you think that just saying 'nothing' is going to convince me that there really is nothing going on."

Peyton smiled at her friend, though she had to shake her head a few times too. "If you really want to know, it's Lucas. What else is new, right?" she said with a not so convincing chuckle.

"You want to talk about it?"

"After we finished this shopping maybe? Let's just focus of Brooke and Ryan first." She answered with a small smile and the two of them continued their shopping, trying their best to find the greatest gifts for their friend and little nephew.

* * *

><p>"Julian, be careful." Brooke told her husband, standing beside him and peeking over his shoulder into the car.<p>

"I do know how to get him out of the car, Brooke."

"You sure? Because as far as I know, this is the first time we have to take him out of a car so…"

Looking at her over his shoulder, he smiled crookedly and saw her eyes soften at him. "I got it, okay? Getting Ryan out of the car is really not that difficult and seriously, you can't worry about every little thing, we'll be okay at this."

"I know. It's just… He's so fragile, I don't want to mess this all up." She said, biting her lip a little.

Everything had been great the last few days, with all the help offered at the hospital that is. But as they were bringing Ryan into their home for the first time, Brooke couldn't help but worry that they would do it all wrong now. They'd have to do it all on their own now and there were just so many things that could go wrong. How could she not worry?

"We won't."

"How do you know?"

"We're his parents, we'll know how to take care of him and love him and raise him. And when we don't, we'll still have all those people around us to help." Julian smiled comfortingly, pressing a kiss to her forehead before bending down again and taking Ryan out of the car.

They made their way up to the front door and when Brooke turned the key into the lock and opened the door, they were met with the bright smiles of their friends, calling out _'surprise!'_.

There was a banner hanging up to welcome her and Ryan home, a bunch of presents seemed to be lying on the table, waiting to be opened, and Brooke could see snacks and drinks on another table.

She turned to Julian, "What is this? Did you know?" Smiling at her, he shook his head.

They stepped further into the house and were greeted by Peyton and Haley,

"Hi, B. Davis." Peyton smiled, "You don't mind us throwing you and little Ryan a small welcome home party, do you?"

"If you do, it was totally all Peyton's idea." Haley chimed with a laugh and quickly received a nudge in the side from the blonde.

Brooke smiled at her friends, "Are you kidding me? I love it. Thank you so much." She hugged them both and then made her way into her house, greeting her other guests.

* * *

><p>"You and Haley, huh?" Julian laughed with a shake of his head as he walked up behind Peyton who was watching over the party.<p>

"What?" She asked innocently, but he was quick to raise his eyebrows.

"All behind our backs, how did you even manage to do that?"

Peyton matched his easy laughter before shrugging her shoulders, "I may or may not have a key to this place."

"That is rather creepy, but okay." Julian grinned.

"Yeah, you better watch it, because I am totally planning on using that key and stealing Ryan away from here." She said jokingly as her eyes travelled to Lucas holding her nephew across the room.

It did something funny to her, seeing him holding Ryan. She tried to brush it off as Ryan just being too adorable and winning everyone over with his cuteness, but really, who was she kidding?

"Hey! Don't you dare!" Julian warned her, smiling widely and pulling her from her thoughts.

She held up her hands in the air, "I'll try, buddy, but I can't promise anything. He's too cute, I'd eat him if I could."

"I'm really doubting choosing you as his godmother right now, you know?" He said and they both had to laugh.

Walking up to them, Lucas, without Ryan this time, smiled, "You shouldn't, Julian. She'll be a great godmother." He said, having overheard their conversation. "Um, can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked then as he turned his attention to Peyton.

"Yeah, I actually have to go, um, ask Brooke something. Later, okay?" She answered, but before he could answer, she had already dashed off in search of Brooke.

"_Okay_, that was weird. What's going on with you two?" Julian asked, watching the scene before him.

"Nothing." Lucas simply answered and walked away as well.

* * *

><p>After almost everyone had left and as Julian was putting Ryan to bed, Brooke sat in her couch, Peyton and Haley at her sides. It had been a great day, and though she was tired, she wanted nothing more than to end the day with the two people that had made it so great.<p>

"Did you like it?" Haley asked, looking up at both Brooke and Peyton as they were nursing their drinks.

"I loved it. Thank you so much." Brooke answered with a wide smile.

Returning the smile, Peyton said, "You don't have to thank us, didn't we already tell you that a thousand times?"

"I know, but still. I love you, girls." She said as both Haley and Peyton rested their head on her shoulders.

"We love you too." They replied in unison, making all of them laugh lightly.

Silence fell and for a while they just sat there, reminiscing about what had been and looking forward to what would still come. It seemed effortless to them sometimes, as if it was just the way things were supposed to be, but in fact, it had not always been that easy to stay close to each other and not lose the friendship they had built over the years. All three of them had left Tree Hill at one point in their life, but no matter what, they had all returned to that small town that was simply _home_.

They had left in search of their dreams, in search of happiness and love, but in the end, it was clear to all of them that wherever they would go, they would nowhere be as happy as they would be in Tree Hill, with all the people they loved right there with them.

"You know, as much as I like sitting here and I hate to have to get up from my place, maybe we should get going," Peyton said with a chuckle, breaking the comfortable silence between the girls.

Haley nodded, "Yeah, Nathan is waiting for me and I guess that if you want a bit of sleep before Ryan wakes up again, we should go." She smiled at Brooke.

They all got up, but before Peyton, who would give Haley a ride, and Haley got to the door, Brooke had stopped them,

"Did you talk to Lucas today, P?"

Peyton had filled her in on what had happened the day Ryan was born and though she didn't want to push Peyton, she couldn't help but ask.

Sighing just a little, Peyton shook her head, "No, not yet."

"You should, you know." Haley said, exchanging a look of worry with Brooke.

"I know. And I will, just… Give me a couple of days? I need to sort this out first."

"Sure." Brooke nodded and after that they all said their goodbyes and Peyton and Haley left Brooke's house.

As she watched her two friends leave, Brooke couldn't help shaking her head a little before heading to her son's room.

* * *

><p>"Hey, can I come in?" Lucas asked softly, though still startling Peyton, as he stood in the doorway of her back door a couple of days later. "I saw the lights on, figured –"<p>

"It's fine, come on in." She interrupted him, wiping off her hands at a kitchen towel before leading him into the living room. "You want something to drink?"

"No, I'm good." He smiled as they both took a seat. "So, haven't seen you around in a couple of days." Lucas started after a few moments of silence. And maybe some awkwardness too.

Smiling just a little, Peyton nodded, "Yeah, I've been busy with the gallery and stuff. And you know, gushing over Ryan. What about you? First game coming up, right?"

"Yeah. It's pretty big."

"Are you nervous?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer. It was more than clear that he was.

"A bit." He answered, receiving a look from Peyton. "Okay, quite a lot." He admitted then and they both had to laugh. "It'll help if you'd be watching in the stands, you know. You're coming, right?"

Letting out a chuckle or two, she nodded her head. "Sure. I don't want to miss Coach Scott's first game." She smiled and he could only smile back.

Silence fell for a while, both trying to figure out what to do next. Eventually it was Lucas who cleared his throat, making Peyton look up at him.

"Are we going to talk about it? You shut me out the entire drive back home, now I haven't seen you for days, but you know that doesn't really change anything, Peyton." He said and she knew he was right. However, that didn't make things any easier.

"What do you want me to say? It's not… It's not that easy."

He shook his head, "It's as easy as we make it out to be. We kissed and we can't change that. I don't _want _to change it either to be honest,"

"Luke, -"

"Do you?" He asked, watching her intently.

Sighing just a bit, she answered at last. "No."

He smiled and though she wanted to smile back, she couldn't. Their kiss had been on her mind all the time ever since it had happened, no matter what she did to distract herself, and even after all the thinking she had done, it still didn't seem any easier. She couldn't deny that there was something between them, but she didn't know if it was _right_. She didn't know if it would ever be right. Things had never been right between them before and they had hurt each other and others so much, she didn't know if she had it in her to go any further with this, only to have it yet again end in more disappointment and hurt.

She had come back to Tree Hill to heal and start over again. Get that fresh start she so desperately needed, but couldn't find in Savannah. And she had done so, she had started up her gallery and every day again she felt more like the Peyton she once used to be than the one she was those last months in Savannah. But part of her told her she also still somewhat was that same mess she used to be and timing simply wasn't right now. And yet another part told her that maybe timing would never really be right.

"I'm a mess." She eventually stated after some good moments. She looked up at him and brushed a hand through her hair, suddenly looking a whole lot more tired than she had before.

"You're not. I've seen you changing ever since you moved back and you can say whatever you want, but you know that I know you. You've always been a mess," He said and she couldn't help but let out a sound somehow resembling a scoff and a chuckle too at the same time. It also took her back to that time in New York where he had spoken the same words. "but I don't think you are right now." He continued. "And even if you are, that still doesn't change me loving you." He didn't know if he should've said that, but he just couldn't not. He _had _to, knowing that whatever Peyton was going to say otherwise, wouldn't have been very positive. Peyton let her eyes flutter close, not quite believing if she had heard that right or not.

"What?" She asked quietly, still not opening those eyes of hers.

"I love you, Peyton." He said and she actually _had _to open her eyes at the sincerity in his voice. Locking eyes with him, she _saw _the sincerity as well.

"Lucas, I…" She tried but simply had to let her sentence trail.

She didn't know what to say. Hearing those words, she kind of thought that saying them back wouldn't be that far from the truth, yet she somehow felt oddly afraid that admitting what she maybe had known for years now would only complicate things more.

Just when she was about to say something, anything, they both heard her back door swing open and Julian calling out for Peyton.

Lucas stepped closer and softly brushed his lips across her cheek. "It's okay." He said. "You have visitors anyway." She only nodded, not quite knowing whether the '_It's okay' _was about her not being able to form an answer just yet or about someone coming in.

He headed towards her front door but suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning around to face her. "I'll be seeing you." He said with a wink before opening the door and leaving her house.

Just a moment later Julian walked in and started talking animatedly about one thing or another, but Peyton didn't really register it. She could only think of those three simple words Lucas had just said to her.

Three words she might have been waiting for since forever to hear from him.


	14. A New Beginning

**AN: **Hello! I know it took me quite some time to get this chapter up, I'm sorry. I've been extremely busy, I've had exams and not that much inspiration so yeah.. On top of that, I don't like this chapter a whole lot to be honest. It's fillerish and I didn't seem to get it right so I don't know. I still hope some of you get to like this a bit! Thanks to those of you who reviewed the last chapter and favourited/alerted (though apparently it's called _followed _now, I'm not used to that yet :P) this story!

Thank you for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter 14. A New Beginning<strong>

Lucas walked the steps onto a porch that was familiar, yet it had been years since he had last stood there. It brought back a flood of memories and though he had expected them, it surprised him just how it made him feel.

It was the end of a chapter in his life, a chapter that had been over for quite a while now, but it felt as if it only now got the closure it needed. It also reminded him of another chapter of his life, the one before the previous one. But most of all, it seemed like the official beginning of a new one. And he couldn't wait to start it.

He knocked on the front door of the house and as though he had been expected, the door swung open,

"Coach Scott, come on in." Whitey smiled from in the doorway, letting Lucas in.

"Coach Durham." Lucas nodded with a smile himself, shaking the old man's hand and stepping into the house.

It had been a long time since Lucas had seen Whitey but as he was about to become the coach of the Tree Hill Ravens himself, he considered it only normal to go and pay the man a visit.

Whitey had been that one man, along with Keith to be honest, that had taught him the most important things in life. He had been more than just a basketball coach, and he had taught him way more than just how to play the game.

The two men talked for a while, discussing Lucas' new coaching job and the new Tree Hill Ravens. Being honest, Lucas had been quite anxious to come and see Whitey, being aware all too well of the importance and significance of the old coach, but now that he was actually talking with him, he knew that Whitey fully supported him. It had helped a lot when Peyton had told him before that she believed in him and now, knowing that Whitey did so too, he knew he'd be okay.

He really couldn't wait now to officially start his job as the coach of the Tree Hill Ravens.

But as it happens most of the time when you're about to start a new chapter in your life, the previous one tends to come up in conversations as well.

"I was sorry to hear about you and your wife, Lucas." Whitey said in his old, gravelly voice, making Lucas look up in surprise. "Yeah, your mom tells me things, you know. I go by the café sometimes, buying a nice cup of coffee, letting Karen fill me in on things happening."

Lucas let out a few chuckles, "It's good she does that, you have to stay on top of things, right?" They both laughed a little. "But it's okay, sometimes things just don't work out the way we want them too."

"True. On the bright side, it is great to see you back in town. Tree Hill sure has missed you."

"Yeah, it's nice to be back here." Lucas smiled. "I sure missed Tree Hill as well."

Silence fell for a little while until Whitey let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head just a little. "I've seen Miss Sawyer in town too lately. Guess Tree Hill tricked you both into coming back, huh?"

Lucas laughed as well, "Guess it did. It's nice to have her back in town too." He said and couldn't help the smile that was forming on his face.

"Old gang back together?" Whitey smiled.

"You could say that, yes." Lucas nodded, that smile still firmly in its place.

* * *

><p>"So, how are things going?" Nathan asked, walking up to his brother watching over the last practice of the Ravens before their first game.<p>

"Quite well, actually." Lucas answered. After his talk with Whitey the day before and now this last practice, he felt fairly confident about his team.

"Good." Nathan nodded. "You meant the team, right?" He asked then, tilting his head a little.

Raising an eyebrow, Lucas said, "Of course I meant the team, what else?"

"I don't know. Things with Peyton, maybe." Nathan answered matter-of-factly as Lucas shook his head a couple of times.

"You are such a gossip, you know that?"

"Well, I _have_ to dig for gossip since you refuse to tell me anything. It's been like forever since you guys became friends again, I'm betting there's something more already. I even bet that Brooke and Haley know all about it already, but poor Nathan is always left out." Nathan said and crossed his arms over his chest, sounding a lot like a little kid.

Lucas couldn't help but laugh a little and patted his brother's shoulder, "First off, don't refer to yourself in third person, okay? Secondly, there's nothing more. It's um… complicated right now."

"So there _is_ something more? See, I knew it. Ever since Haley said you were kind of confused about Peyton and stuff, I knew things were going to happen."

"Haley said _what_?" Lucas asked, eyes widening. "Now I can't even trust my best friend anymore."

"Oh, please. She kept your affair quiet, didn't she?"

"It wasn't an _affair_, Nathan!" Lucas hissed, looking around and making sure his team was still playing.

"Whatever. Anyway, she didn't tell me about it, so don't complain about Haley. Now come on, speak up." Nathan demanded.

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Fine. I don't know how things are between us, okay? I told her I loved her and –"

"Whoa, whoa. You told her you _loved_ her?" Nathan interrupted his older brother, holding a hand up in the air. "Are you stupid?"

"Why is that stupid? It's the truth."

"It's also the last thing she needs to hear right now. Let me tell you, she's probably freaking out so much right now."

"And since when are you such an expert, huh?" Lucas scoffed.

"Well, let me point out to you that _I_ am the one who's been married for years now, while _you _are the one who just moved back home after a divorce. Just saying, you know." Nathan shrugged.

"Fine. So she's freaking out now?" Lucas asked.

"Probably."

"So expert, what do I do?"

"You wait till she says something about it. Or you say something about it yourself. I don't know." The younger Scott answered, shrugging his shoulders again.

"That's no real advice, Nate."

"It's time to end your practice. You don't have time for advice, anyway."

* * *

><p>"This is so exciting. It feels like forever since I've been to a Ravens game." Haley said excitedly, even bouncing a little.<p>

"You guys never been to a game before Luke became the coach?" Peyton asked.

"No, not really. I mean, with Nathan being on the road so much, we didn't have much time."

Peyton nodded, "Yeah, I get it. But you're right, this is so exciting. I wish Brooke was here too."

"I know, me too." Haley said and sighed just a bit. "_Although_, she'd probably make us do some dance moves and cheer for the team. You know, 'just for old times' sake'." She finger-quoted in the air, laughing.

Laughing as well, Peyton nodded, "You're probably right. And being a cheerleader in high school was already bad enough, I don't care to relive that."

"Yeah. Besides, you were pretty bad."

"I was not bad! How can you say that, Hales?" The blonde said incredulously, her eyes widening.

Haley shrugged, but had to laugh too at the shocked expression on Peyton's face. "Just you know, facts. I don't know if you remember that time you bumped into practically everyone and then actually fell on the ground, in the middle of the routine." She said teasingly, enjoying Peyton's reaction.

"I do remember that, yes, but that has nothing to do with me being bad. Because you know, I _wasn't _bad. Rachel had gotten me drunk the night before, _that_'s why I performed so poorly that day. Besides, everyone loved it." She smiled.

Thinking back of that day when they had just all gotten on the podium and had just danced like the young kids they were, Haley nodded, wearing a smile herself. "Yeah, you're right. Everyone did love it."

"See. Now, let's just agree that I wasn't bad and watch the game, it's about to start." Peyton said then, letting out a happy laugh and Haley had no problem matching that.

* * *

><p>"Peyton!" Lucas called out, making his way through the people, receiving handshakes and claps on the back as he passed them.<p>

She smiled at him through the crowd, forgetting that maybe she should feel awkward and just being extremely proud at him and his team for the moment. He reached her and before she could really control herself, she had thrown her arms around him and congratulated him on the game.

"You won!" She stated the obvious with a grin when they let go of each other. "I knew you could do it!"

"Thank you." He smiled back sincerely.

They both stayed silent for a couple of seconds, just locking eyes, before they were pulled back into reality by an all too familiar voice,

"Well, well, if these aren't Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer."

Peyton turned around quickly, meeting Whitey's eyes with a wide smile, "Coach Durham! It's so nice to see you!" She said, throwing her arms around him as Lucas amusedly watched over the two of them.

"It's actually just Whitey these days, he's the coach now." He answered, clapping Lucas on the back. "But thank you, Miss Sawyer, it's nice to see you too."

Lucas and Whitey talked a bit about the game and then Whitey left again, but not before telling Peyton they would see each other again soon and agreeing with Lucas to catch up later in the evening to rewatch the game.

"I need to run by the players first, but…" Lucas let his sentence trail as he and Peyton made their way out of the gym.

"I'll be at the café for a while before going home. I'll see you there." She smiled and then they went their own way, Peyton spotting Nathan and joining him on their way to the café where Haley was already helping out Karen.

* * *

><p>After coming home from the café, Peyton had crawled into bed, tired of working all day and then going to the game. However, she hadn't been able to sleep at all and had instead grabbed her sketchpad.<p>

It brought her some kind of solace, like it had always done, and some kind of peace. She didn't know what to do or how to act and somehow, drawing took her mind of off things. Even if it only helped a little, it was exactly what she needed. It had been a couple of days since Lucas had told her he loved her and she had tried to sort out her thoughts, figuring out what to say when she would see him again, but when she did see him at the game earlier, it didn't seem so important anymore and they had just simply not talked about it. It _was_ important though, she knew that. But it was also big and scary and probably what she had also wanted forever, but now that it was actually in her reach, she didn't know if she could handle it all.

Just as Peyton decided to try and get some sleep anyway and she laid her sketchpad aside, she heard a knock on the door downstairs. She got up from her bed and put on a robe, making her way down the stairs and through the living room to open the door. It was pouring outside and whoever was standing in front of her door was becoming impatient, knocking again a couple of times.

She reached her front door and turned the lock. As she opened the door, she immediately recognized the person standing there,

"Luke, what… You're soaking, how… Come in." Peyton said worriedly, opening the door further for him to come in, but instead, Lucas just stood there, frozen, in the rain.

"Lucas, what are you doing here? What is going on?"


End file.
